REVISION OF 1922 


STATE OF MICHIGAN 


LAWS RELATING TO 

General Primary Election 


ABSENT VOTERS, CORRUPT PRACTICES, PRIMARY 
FOR VILLAGE, ETC., OFFICERS, AND 
OTHER RELATED SUBJECTS 


COMPILED UNDER THE SUPERVISi6n OF 

CHARLES J. DeLAND, 

SECRETARY OF STATE 



BY AUTHORITY 


Lansing, Michigan 
Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co. 
State printers 
1922 










REVISION OF 1922 


STATE OF MICHIGAN 


LAWS RELATING TO 

General Primary Election 


ABSENT VOTERS, CORRUPT PRACTICES, PRIMARY 
FOR VILLAGE, ETC., OFFICERS, AND 
OTHER RELATED SUBJECTS 


COMPILED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF 

CHARLES J. DeLAND, 

SECRETARY OF STATE 



BY AUTHORITY 


Lansing, Michigan 
Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co, 
State Printers 
1922 








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I '^SCEIVEd 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS. 


Sections. 

Primary election law . 1-50 

Primary for village officers . 51-55 

Primary for township officers . 56-60 

Nomination of delegates to convention . 61-74 

Corrupt practices act . 75-95 

Absent voters’ act . 96-112 

Creating central election counting board in cities or villages . 113-117 

Central polling places in fourtli-class cities . 118-119 













INSTRUCTIONS 


Date of General Primary. Election—TU ESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. 

Last day for filing nomination petitions—SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, four 
o’clock p. m. 

PETITIONS 

Candidates for the office of United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor or Congressman-at-large must file with the Secretary of' State nomi¬ 
nation petitions signed by a number of registered and qualified voters in the 
state equal to not less than two per centum nor more than four per centum 
of the number of votes cast by their party for Secretary of State at the last 
preceding November election. 

Candidates for district offices must file petitions containing not less than 
two per centum nor more than four per centum of the number of votes cast 
for their party for Secretary of State in the district. 

Candidates for county offices must file petitions containing not less than one 
per centum nor more than four per centum of the number of votes cast for their 
party in the county. 

Candidates of new parties for the office of United States Senator, Governor, 
Lieutenant Governor or Congressman-at-large must file petitions containing 
names of at least three thousand registered and qualified voters residing with¬ 
in the state. 

Candidates of new parties for district, county or city offices must file peti¬ 
tions containing names of at least one hundred registered and qualified voters 
residing in such district, county or city. 

The residence, street number (in cities having street numbers) and date 
of signing of each elector must be shown on the petition, otherwise such names 
will not be considered nor counted. 

It is unlawful to sign more than one petition for the same office. 

No affidavit of party afllliation is required to be filed with nomination pe¬ 
titions. 

Candidates for the office of United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant 
Governor, Congressman-at-large and district offices in districts comprising two 
or more counties are required to file their petitions with the Secretary of 
State. Candidates for county offices or for district ofiices where -the district 
comprises one county or less must file their petitions with the county clerk of 
such county. Candidates for city offices including all ward offices are required 
to file petitions with the city clerk of said city. 

To avoid confusion and insure the placing of your name upon the primary 
ballots, petitions should be filed early. In case petitions are insufficient this 
will give plenty of time to notify candidates accordingly, that they may file 
necessary additional petitions. 

The spelling of the candidate’s name and the initials must be uniform upon 
all of the petitions filed in his or her behalf. 


6 


STATE OF MICHIGAN, 


Table Showing Number of Petitioners Required to Nominate 


Party. 

Rep. 

Dem. 

Soc'. 

Farm 
Labor. 

Pro. 

Soc. 
Labor. 

New- 

Party. 

Governor, Lt. Governor, U. S. Sen- 








ator, Congressman-at-large. 

15,065 

4,845 

510 

199 

158 

50 

3,000 

Congressional; 




• 




1st District (a). 








2nd District. 

1,161 

572 

16 

5 

14 

3 

ioo 

3rd District. 

999 

397 

24 

15 

18 

4 

100 

4th District. 

919 

331 

18 

4 

14 

3 

100 

5th District. 

1,018 

357 

23 

15 

15 

3 

100 

6th District. 

1,514 

551 

45 

9 

19 

4 

100 

7th District. 

1,062 

265 

11 

4 

12 

2 

100 

8th District. 

1,084 

408 

19 

7 

17 

2 

100 

9th District. 

832 

259 

24 

4 

12 

2 

100 

10th District. 

844 

302 

17 

7 

8 

3 

100 

11th District. 

795 

275 

34 

9 

9 

4 

100 

12th District. 

836 

180 

41 

9 

7 

5 

100 

13th District (a). 
















Senatorial: 








1st to 5th Districts (a). 








6th District. 

399 

164 

13 

11 

6 

2 

100 

7th District. 

402 

150 

11 

3 

4 

2 

100 

8th District. 

294 

87 

5 

2 

5 

1 

100' 

9th District. 

445 

179 

11 

4 

9 

2 

100 

10th District. 

421 

243 

6 

2 

10 

1 

100 

11th District. 

492 

155 

6 

3 

4 

2 

100 

12th District. 

659 

232 

19 

3 

8 

2 

100 

13th District. 

582 

207 

11 

2 

8 

1 

100 

14th District. 

502 

212 

12 

3 

11 

1 

100 

15th District. 

367 

129 

4 

1 

8 

1 

100 

16th and 17th Districts (b) . . . . 








18th District. 

290 

108 

4 

1 

7 

1 

100 

19th District. 

407 

215 

4 

1 

4 

1 

100 

20th District. 

314 

57 

3 

1 

3 

1 

100 

21st District. 

256 

54 

2 

1 

6 

1 

100 

22nd District (c). 








23rd District. 

448 

121 

12 

2 

6 

2 

100 

24th District. 

362 

161 

6 

5 

2 

2 

100 

25th District. 

309 

98 

4 

1 

3 

1 

100 

26th District. 

341 

114 

10 

2 

5 

1 

100 

27th District. 

318 

90 

9 

2 

7 

1 

100 

28th District. 

304 

84 

8 

2 

4 

1 

100 

29th District. 

326 

124 

11 

3 

4 

1 

100 

30th District. 

382 

126 

19 

6 

4 

2 

100 

31st District. 

469 

107 

30 

6 

5 

4 

100 

32nd District. 

393 

83 

14 

4 

2 

1 

100 





























































INSTRUCTIONS. 


7 


f 


Table Showing Petitioners Required to Nominate.—Con. 


Party. 

Rep. 

Dem. 

Soc. 

Farm 
Labor. 

Pro. 

Soc. 
Labor. 

New 

Party. 


Representative : 

Clare District.•... . 

83 

21 

4 

1 

2 

1 

100 

Iosco District. 

126 

39 

4 

1 

2 

1 

100 

Iron District. 

164 

31 

11 

2 

1 

2 

100 

Leelanau District. 

74 

18 

3 

1 

2 

1 

100 

Missaukee District. 

54 

12 

1 

1 

2 

1 

100 

Presque Isle District. 

109 

32 

3 

1 

1 

1 

100 

Schoolcraft District. 

109 

41 

9 

1 

1 

1 

100 

Wexford District. 

■ 87 

29 

2 

1 

2 

1 

100 








(a) Petitions filed with County Clerk of Wayne County. 

(b) Petitions filed with County Clerk of Kent County. 

(c) Petitions filed with County Clerk of Saginaw County. 






















i 


9 




PRIMARY ELECTION LAW. 


An Act relative to the nomination of party candidates for public of¬ 
fice and delegates to political conventions, to regulate primary 
elections and to prescribe penalties for violations of its provi¬ 
sions, and to provide for the printing upon election ballots of the 
names of candidates nominated under the terms of this act, and 
to repeal act number four of the public acts of the extra session, 
of the year nineteen hundred seven, and all local primary election 
acts contravening the provisions of this act, except as in this act 
otherwise provided. 


[Act 281, P. A. 1909.] 

The People of the 8fate of Michigan enact: 

(1) § 3517. Section 1. Whenever any primary election Nomination 
shall be held in this state or in any city, county, or district 

in this state, pursuant to the provisions of this act, the nomi¬ 
nation of candidates for the offices herein named, by each 
political party, shall be made by direct vote of the registered 
and qualified voters of such political party in the state or 
in any district, county, or city in this state, as the case may 
be, in the manner hereinafter provided. 

(2) § 3518. Sec. 2. All primary elections shall, except Primary 

as herein otherwise provided, be conducted and regulated as conduSe(b°^ 
near as may be in every particular as prescribed by law for 
the regulation and conduct of general elections. The pro-, 
visions of the general election law shall apply to primary 
elections with respect to the giving of notice of registration 
and election, in fixing places for holding such election, provid¬ 
ing the ballot boxes with the necessary equipment and sup¬ 
plies, in giving notice of meetings of boards of canvassers, in 
canvassing and certifying the result of the primary election 
and in giving notice of primary elections except as the con¬ 
trary lAay be herein expressed, and all officers required to 
perform similar duties under the general election law shall 
be required to perform such duties under this act, with like 
power and compensation. All expenses of primary elections 
shall be defrayed from the same funds from which are de¬ 
frayed the expenses of an election. 

A seal is a necessary part of the equipment under the general election law.— 

Ritze V. Bd. of Canvassers of Iron Co., 172/423. 

(3) § 3519. Sec. 3. The wmrds “primary’’ or “primary “Primary,” ’ 
election,” as used in this act, shall be construed to mean an defined, 
election for the purpose of deciding by ballot Tvho shall be 

the nominees of political parties for the offices named in this 
act or for the election by ballot of delegates to political con- 



10 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Registered 
elector may 
vote. 

Proviso. 


Party nomi¬ 
nation for 
city offices. 


Proviso. 


Petition, 

where 

addressed. 


Form of. 


ventions. The words ^^qiialified elector’’ sliall he construed 
to mean an elector who is qualified under the general elec¬ 
tion law, to vote for a member of tlie legislature in this state. 

(4) § 3520. Sec. 4. No person shall he permitted to 
vote at any primary election held in this state, unless he shall 
be a registered and qualified elector of this state: Provided, 
however. That any qualified elector may be registered and be 
eligible to vote at any primary election if he shall appear in 
person before the city or township clerk or other officer in 
charge of the registration book, and take the oath required 
as to qualifications for registration, and request that his 
name be registered therein. The inspectors shall register any 
person who shall on any primary day appear and make oath 
or affirmation to the effect that he is a qualified elector in 
such precinct, or when they personally know him to be such. 
Any person registered on any primary day as prescribed 
herein, shall be entitled to vote at the succeeding election 
without other registration. There shall be no other registra¬ 
tion day or days for either a primary, a general or a city elec¬ 
tion, except that prescribed by the general election laws and 
in this act. 

Sections 5, G, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, providing for party enrollment of electors', 
were repealed by Act 118, P. A. 1913. But the amendment of 1915 (Act 
313) provides for printing separate party tickets. 

(5) § 3521. Sec. 12. Tlie question of the nomination 
of party candidates for city offices, in cities having a popu¬ 
lation of less than seventy thousand, may be submitted or 
resubmitted to the qualified electors of such city upon peti¬ 
tion therefor signed by a number of voters of such city, which 
number shall constitute not less than twenty per centum of 
the total number of votes cast in such city for secretary of 
state at the last preceding November election. Such proposi¬ 
tion may be submitted or resubmitted at any primary elec¬ 
tion : Provided, That a resubmission in any city shall 
not take place within two years after such question has been 
decided either affirmatively or negatively by a majority of 
the qualified voters of such city voting on such proposition. 

(6) § 3522. Sec. 13. The petition referred to in the 
preceding section relative to city offices in cities having a 
population of less than seventy thousand, shall be addressed 
to the city clerk and shall be delivered to said city clerk at 
least thirty days before the date of the election on which the 
proposition is to be voted upon by the voters of said city. 

(7) § 3523. Sec. 14. The said petition shall be sub¬ 
stantially in the following form: 

We, the undersigned, voters of the city . 

of . respectfully petition that the 

question of direct nomination of party candidates for. 

. shall be submitted (or resubmitted) to the 

qualified electors of said city on the ... 

(Signed) . 










LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


11 


(8) § 3524. Sec. 15. The said city clerk shall examine said City clerk to 
petition and if it is found that a sufficient number of voters 

have signed said petition, he shall give notice as near as 
llossible in the manner now provided by law for giving notice 
of general elections in this state, that at an election to be 
held pursuant to the provisions of this act (giving the date), 
the proposition will be submitted or resubmitted to the quali¬ 
fied electors of said city, referred to in such petition or peti¬ 
tions whether the nomination of party candidates for the 
offices named in said petition or petitions shall thereafter be 
made in such city by direct vote, and the proper board of 
election commissioners under the general election law shall 
cause to be printed on the ballot to be used at such primary Ballot, 
election, in substance, the following words: form of, etc. 

Instruction: Make a cross in the square to the left of the 
words ^^Yes” or ‘‘No’’ on each proposition submitted. 

Primary election system for the nomination of candidates 
for.offices. 

[ ] Yes. 

[ ] Yo. 

The color of the ballots shall be the same as is prescribed 
by law for ballots for a general election. The size and form 
of the ballots other than as herein directed, shall be pre¬ 
scribed by the said board of election commissioners. The Canvass, 
votes cast at such election shall be canvassed, and returns 
thereof made in like manner as is provided for the canvassing 
of votes and the making of returns of any general election in 
such county or city by the terms of existing law. All can- circuit 
didates for circuit judge shall be selected in accordance with 
the provisions of this act: Provided, That all duties imposed Proviso, 
upon city or county clerks shall in the case of judicial dis¬ 
tricts composed of more than one county be performed by 
the secretary of state. The provisions of this act relative to 
the nomination of candidates for district offices are as far as 
possible made applicable to the election of candidates for cir¬ 
cuit judge. The primary election for the election of candi- Primaries, 
dates for circuit judge shall be held on the first Wednesday ^ ® • 

in March prior to the election. The vote cast for candidates Canvass, 
in judicial districts shall be counted and canvassed in the 
same manner as the vote cast on the election of circuit judge. 

It was the intention of the legislature to fix the first Wednesday in March 
for the nomination of candidates for county offices by primary petitions.— 

Mandell v. Farrell, 164/585. 

(9) § 3525. Sec. 1G. A general primary election for all September 
political parties shall be held in every election precinct in 

this state on the second Tuesday in September preceding 
every general November election, at which time the registered 
and qualified voters of each political party shall vote for 
party candidates for the office of governor, lieutenant gover¬ 
nor, and United States senator: Provided, That no nomina- Proviso, 
tion for the office of United States senator shall be made un- 





12 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


March 

primary. 


Proviso. 


Proviso, com¬ 
mission form 
of govern¬ 
ment. 


Special 

election. 


Ballots. 


Slips, pasters, 
■etc., to in¬ 
fluence votes, 
unlawful. 


less such official is to he elected at the next succeeding gen¬ 
eral November election. A general primary election for all 
])olitical parties shall also be held on the first Wednesday in 
March prior to the spring election at which time the regis¬ 
tered and qualified voters of each political party shall vote 
for candidates for county offices filled at the spring election; 
for candidates for circuit judge and for candidates for city 
offices in cities in which the provisions of this act are ap¬ 
plicable: Provided, That in those cities in which the pro¬ 
visions of this act are applicable and in which city officers 
are elected at a time other than the general November elec¬ 
tion or the spring election, the primary election in such city 
shall be held on the third Tuesday prior to the charter elec¬ 
tion and all the provisions of this act shall be made appli¬ 
cable thereto. Whenever a regular or special primary elec¬ 
tion is required by the provisions of this act to be held in 
any county or district, it shall be held in ever^" portion there¬ 
of regardless of whether there are any candidates for any 
city offices to be nominated at such regular or special pri¬ 
mary election: Provided, That the provisions of this act 
relative to the nomination of candidates for 'city offices shall 
not apply to any city which has adopted or which may here¬ 
after adopt a commission form of government, or in which 
city officers are elected on a non-partisan ballot, or wherein 
provision is made by the charter of such city for the nomi¬ 
nation of candidates for city offices in any manner other 
than as herein provided, except as a charter of such city may 
make the provisions hereof applicable. Whenever a special 
election shall be called to fill any vacancy in any office, the 
candidates for which are regularly nominated in accordance 
with the provisions of this act, a special primary election 
for all political parties shall be held in the city, county or 
districjt in Avhich such vacancy occurs on such day as may 
be fixed by the authority calling the special election but not 
less than twenty days prior to the date of such special elec¬ 
tion and the authorities calling any such special primary 
election shall in the call therefor fix the time within which 
candidates may file nominating petitions. The provisions of 
this act, relative to the printing, distribution, etc., of primary 
election ballots shall be applicable to the ballots prepared 
for use at a special primary election. The ballots shall be 
prepared in such manner that the voters of each political 
party may write, print or paste the name of a candidate 
thereon. The provisions of this act shall be applicable in all 
particulars to special primary elections, except as the con¬ 
trary is indicated in this section. It shall be unlawful for 
any person directly oi* indirectly at any regular or special 
primary election to distribute slips or pasters, or electioneer 
or induce or attempt to induce any person to vote or refrain 
from voting in a particular way within any polling place 
or within one hundred feet thereof. It shall be lawful to 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


13 


call a special election for the submission of any proposition 
on any regular or special primary election day. 

Am. 1919, Act 400 ; 1921, Act 271. 

Also amended by Act 1. P. A. 1921, superseded by Act 271. 

This section, as amended in 1911, was applicable to the office of circuit jud^e 
which became vacant after the spring election and 30 days or more prior to 
the regular November election. Primary petitions to nominate candidates 
were properly received and filed by the secretary of state.—Oren v. Secretary 
of State, 171/590. 

(10) § 3520. Sec. 17. In every congressional district 

in this state there shall be nominated at the said September 
primary election, by direct vote of tlie registered and qualified 
voters of each political party within such district, a party 
candidate for representative in congress. In every senatorial 
district in this state there shall be nominated at the said pri¬ 
mary election, by direct vote of the registered and qualified 
voters of each political party Avithin such district, a party 
candidate for state senator. In every^ representative district 
in tliis state there shall be nominated at the said primary 
election, by direct vote of the registered and qualified votei*s 
of each political party within such district, a party candi¬ 
date or candidates as the case may be, for representative in 
the state legislature. In ' every county in this state there 
shall be nominated at the said primary election by direct vote 
of the registered and qualified voters of each political party 
within such county, party candidates for county offices to 
be voted for at the November election following. In every 
city of the state having a population of seventy thousand or 
more, there shall be nominated at said September i^rimary 
election, or on the first Wednesday in March preceding any 
April election, whenever a city or county election in said city 
or county is held in April, by direct vote of the registered 
and qualified voters of each political party within such city 
or county, party candidates for ward, city or county offices. 
In any city in this state having a population of less than 
seventy thousand in Avhich the voters have decided, in ac¬ 
cordance with the provisions of this act, in favor of direct 
nominations of party candidates for city offices, when such 
offices are to be voted for at the November election following, 
there shall be nominated at the said primary election by di¬ 
rect vote of the registered and qualified voters of each polit¬ 
ical party Avithin such city, party candidates for city offices: 
I^rovided, That if upon the expiration of the time for filing 
petitions in any primary for city or county, it appears that 
there is no opposition to any candidate for any office, upon 
any ticket, then the city or county clerk, as the case may be, 
shall certify to the board of election commissioners, the names 
of all persons Avhose petitions have been properly filed, and 
the office for Avhich such petitions Avere filed, and such per¬ 
sons shall be declared, by such board of election commission¬ 
ers, nominees for the respective offices and such county clerk 
shall fortliAvith notify the sev^eral clerks of the toAvnships and 
cities interested, if any, and give notice that the primary 


Congressmen, 
nomination of. 


State 

senator. 


State repre¬ 
sentatives. 


County 

officers. 


City, etc., 
officers. 


Proviso. 



14 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


will not be held as coiiteiiiplated, tbe reasons llierefor, 

and a ])nl)lic notice sliall i)e ^iven of such determination by 
a brief notice ])nblislie(M)y sncli clerk in a newspaiver ])nblislied 
Proviso. ill such comity: I’rovided, also, That if njion the exjiira- 
tion of the time for filinj]^ jietitions in any primary, the sec¬ 
retary of state shall find within a ^iven district that there 
is no op})osition for any office n])on any ticket, he shall forth¬ 
with «ive notice to the clerks of the sevei'al counties embraced, 
forthwith, certifying- the names of the candidates and the 
office to which tliey as]>ire, to the state board of canvassers, 
who shall declare them the nominees for the res<nective 
offices, and shall give notice to the clerks of the several coun¬ 
ties embraced in such district, and if the clerk shall find that 
there is no ojiiiosition for any office upon any ticket for a 
county office, then it shall be the duty of such clerk to forth- 
witli give notice to tlie several city and townshij) clerks in¬ 
terested that a primary will not be held as contemplated, 
but in no event sliall a primary election be abandoned in 
any townshi]), city, county or district Avherein there shall 
be oi)])osition for any office, ujvon any ticket. Tn tho.se in¬ 
stances In which the duties of two officers are combined, all 
nomination ])etitions shall include and name the two offices. 

Am. Id. 

Deieprate.s to (11) § d'ol^T. t^KC. 18. There shall also be elected at the 

vention^^^^’ Hejitember ])rimary, by direct vote of the registered and 
(inalified voters of eacli political party in said county, as 
inany delegates in eacli townshij), ward or ])recinct, as the 
case may be, as such jiolitical party in such townshij), ward 
or precinct shall be entitled to by the call issued by the coun¬ 
ty committee of such jiolitical jiarty for the county conven¬ 
tion thereafter to be held by such jiolitical j)arty within said 
comity in that year for the j)urj)ose of electing delegates to 
the state convention called for the juirpovse of nominating 
candidates for state offices, to be voted for at the November 
Vacancy, how election. Ill Case of any vacancy in any delegation from any 
■ election ju ecinct, townshij) or ward, to the county conven¬ 

tion, such vacancy shall be tilled by the delegates pre.sent 
from the ward or townshij) in Avhich the vacancy occurs, 
state convcn- The State central committee of each j)olitical party shall, 
tmn, whoto least thirty days before the Sejtteniber jtrimary herein 
jirovided for, cause to be forwarded by mail to the chairman 
of the county committee of such jiarty a cojty of the call for 
the state convention showing the number of delegates to 
which such county shall be entitled in the state convention 
Delegates, of siicli Jiarty; aiid the said state central committee shall 

portioned. ajijiortioii siicli delegates to the several counties in propor¬ 

tion and according to the number of votes cast for the can¬ 
didate of such Jiarty for .secretary of state in each of said 
counties, resjiectively, at the last preceding November elec- 
Not printed tioii. The name of the candidate for delegate to the county 

on ballots. convention shall not be ju-inte.l ujion the official jndmary 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


15 


election ballot, but one or more sneli names may be i)lacecl 
on snch ballot by j)rinte(l sli})s jiasted thereon by the voter, 
or the names may be written in. The comity committee 
shall in its call for tlie comity convention indicate whether 
delegates are to be selected by precincts or by wards. In 
cities haviiio' no wards or only one ward, the delegates to 
which snch cities are entitled, shall be elected from the en¬ 
tire city, or by election precincts as the count}" committee 
in its call for the comity convention shall indicate. The Notice of 
chairman of the township, ward or city committee, as the 
case may be, shall notify by mail each person elected as a 
delegate to tlie comity convention of his ])arty. 

Am. Id. 

(12) § :).j28. Sec. 19. It shall be the duty of the board Ballots, who 

of election commissioners of each comity in this state to pre- 
])are and fnrnisli the necessary official ])riniary election bal¬ 
lots, excejit for city offices, which may be required for nse 
by the voters of any jiolitical jiarty at the September pri¬ 
mary: Provided, That tlie jirovisions of the general elec- Proviso, 
tion law siiall apjily to the jiriniarv elections with respect to 
giving of notice of registration and election, places of holding 
snch elections, the contracting, ])rinting, furnishing and dis¬ 
tribution of ballots, tally sheets, ]>encils, ballot boxes and 
other eqnijmient. Sncli ballots shall contain the instructions instruction 
as to the method of voting. Ballots other than those firriiished 
by the board of election commissioners, according to the pro¬ 
visions of this act, shall not be used, cast or counted in any 
election ])recinct, at any such primary election. The size of 
all official ballots shall be snch as the board of election com¬ 
missioners shall jirescribe. It shall be unlawful for the print- Printing of 
er of such ballots or any other jierson to give, or deliver to. Sotsun-^^^ 
or knowingly ])ermit to be taken, any of said ballots by any lawful. 
])erson other than the board of election commissioners for 
which such ballots are being jirinted, or to print or cause 
or jiermit to be jirinted any ballots in any other form than 
the one jirescribed by this act or with any otlier name there¬ 
on, or witli the names misspelled or the names or devices 
thereon arranged in any otlier way than that authorized 
and directed by the said board of election commissioners: 

Provided, That it shall and may be lawful for the chairman 
of committees, and candidates named on the official ballot primary 
of any jiolitical party to procure any nmnber of facsimiles i^^-iiot. 
of the official ballot‘of their political jiarty to be printed 
on yellow ])a])er and to circulate the same for the ])urpose 
of the instruction of voters; and said colored ballot to have 
jirinted at the head the words, “instruction primary ballot.’’ 

Am. Id. 

(12) § 2529. Sec. 29. The said ballots so prepared by What names 

the board of election commissioners in each county for use by on baUot^ 
the voters of any imlitical jiarty at said primary election, 
shall include the names of all candidates of said political 




16 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Filing of 
proof copies. 


Correction of 
errois. 

Names not 
printed on 


County 

delegates. 


County 
chairman to 
certify 
number of 
delegates. 


Election com- 
missioneis, 
duty of. 


Minimum 
number of 
billots. 


])arty for the office of governor, lieutenant governor and 
United States senator, the names of all candidates of said 
political party, for district offices, and, in each county, the 
names of all candidates of said political party for county 
offices. Proof copies of the ballots so prepared shall be placed 
on tile in the office of the county clerk, at least ten days prior 
to the primary^ election, and one proof copy of such ballot 
shall be sent by registered mail with return receipt demand¬ 
ed to each candidate at his last known address whose name 
appears upon such ballot. It shall be the duty of the board 
of election commissioners to correct such errors as may be 
called to their attention. No candidate shall have his name 
printed upon any official primary election ballot of any polit¬ 
ical party in any voting precinct in this, state, unless he shall 
have filed nomination petitions according to the provisions of 
this act, and all other requirements of this act have been 
complied with in his behalf. The said ballots shall also con¬ 
tain as many lines as there are delegates to be elected to the 
county convention by the particular political party. Such 
lines, upon wliich may be placed the names of proposed dele¬ 
gates to the county convention, shall be printed under the 
title ^^Delegates to county convention,^’ and no ballot for a 
delegate to a county convention of any political party shall 
be counted unless prepared and voted under authority of this 
act. 

Am. I'DIO, Act 400. 

(14) § 3530. Sec. 21. The chairman of the county com¬ 
mittee of each political party shall certify to the board of 
election commissioners at least twenty-five days before the 
holding of such primary election, the number of delegates to 
which each election district of said county will be entitled 
at the county convention of said political party to be held 
in said county in said year for the purpose of electing dele¬ 
gates to a state convention called for the purpose of nominat¬ 
ing party candidates for state offices. It shall be the duty 
of the board of election commissioners of any city having a 
population of seventy thousand or more, or of any city hav¬ 
ing a population of less than seventy thousand, in which the 
voters have adopted the provisions of this act, to prepare the 
necessary election ballots for use of the registered and quali¬ 
fied voters of such city. The said city board of election com¬ 
missioners shall be governed by the same rules as are pre¬ 
scribed for the preparation of ballots by the board of elec¬ 
tion commissioners of the county. The ballots so prepared 
by the board of election commissioners of any city shall be 
separate from any other ballot. 

(15) § 3531. Sec. 22. The number of ballots to be 
printed for the use of tlie voters of any political party at any 
primary election in any election precinct shall be not less 
than twenty-five per centum more than the total number of 
votes cast therein at the last preceding general November 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


17 


election for the candidate of sucli party for the office of sec¬ 
retary of state: Provided, That if in the case of any politi- Proviso, 
cal party it shall appear that no person has filed the neces- SS^omo 
sary nnniber of noininatinj^ petitions, as required by this act, be printed, 
for nomination as a candidate of said party for any office, 
then no ballot for the use of said political party at the pri¬ 
mary shall be printed. The official primary election ballots On file for 
shall be on file at the office of the county clerk, or city clerk, E^spection. 
as the case may be, for public inspection at least three days 
prior to distribution for use at the primary election. 

Am. 1'919, Act 400. 

(IG) § R532. Sec. 23. It shall be tlie duty of the sec- Parnphlet 
retai^^ of state to cause to be printed pamphlet copies of this to b^prin^t^d, 
act and to furnish to the county clerk of each county and 
to the city clerk of any city nominating under the provisions 
of this act, a sufficient number of copies thereof to enable 
said clerks to furnish at least two copies to each board of 
primary election inspectors in the particular city or county 
at the same time that other supplies for an election are fur¬ 
nished. 

(17) § 3533. Sec. 24. The official primai'y election bal- official pi¬ 

lots shall be prepared in the following form: At the top of bow^prepared. 
each ballot shall be printed in large type, “Official primary 
election ballot.’’ Underneath such heading shall be printed 
the date of the election at which the ballot is to be used, to¬ 
gether with a designation of the political subdivision, as 
county, district, city, ward et cetera, in which it is to be used. 

Then shall follow in bold faced type, the name of the political 
party and vignette, below which shall appear the following 
instruction to voters: Make a cross in the square to the left 
of as many names for each office as may be indicated under 
the title of such office. Under this heading shall appear the 
names of the candidates seeking nomination for various offi¬ 
ces on the ticket of the political party. The order of the offi¬ 
ces on the ballot shall be the same, as near as may be, as is 
required by law in making up the ballot used at general elec¬ 
tions. The title of the office shall be immediately above the 
names of the candidate or candidates for the nomination for 
such office, and under such title the words “Vote for,” fol¬ 
lowed by the word “one” or “two” or such other word as will 
designate the number of candidates for the nomination to 
such office that may be voted for. The names of the differ¬ 
ent candidates shall be separated from each other by a light¬ 
faced rule with a square at* the left of each name. The spaces 
devoted to the candidates for nomination to different offices 
shall be separated by a black-faced rule so as to separate 
each office division distinctly. The ballots for each election Ballots to be 
district shall be numbered consecutively in the manner pro- 
vided by the general election law. All names of candidates separate 
of each political party shall be printed on a separate ballot 
and said ballot may be in one or more columns as may be 




18 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Alternation 
of names. 


Position of 

names 

changed. 


How piled. 


To be 

numbered 

consecutively. 


Sealed and 
distributed. 


(^.etcimined by the 'board of election coniinissioners j)re])ar- 
in^ the same. If two or more columns are used on the bal¬ 
lot, the columns shall be sejiarated by a black line not less 
than one-twelfth of an inch in width. The names under the 
heading- desij>natin<»- each oflicial jiosition, where there are 
more names than there are candiilates to be nominated for 
such ollice, shall be allernated on the ballot of each ])arty 
castinij^ not less tlian ten per centiim of the total vote east in 
the county or other political subdivision at the ])recedino' 
November election for the office of secretary of state. Said 
names shall be jirinted on the ballot in the following man¬ 
ner : 

The forms shall be set up with the names of the candidates 
arranged alphabetically according to surnames. In printing 
each set of ballots for the several election ])recincts, the rela¬ 
tive positions of the different names printed in each division 
shall be changed as many times as there are candidates in 
that division having the most names. As nearly as possible 
an equal nnmber of tickets shall be printed for each change. 
In making the changes of position, the printers shall take the 
line of type at the head of each office division and place it at 
the bottom of the division and shove up the column so that 
the name that before was second shall be first after the 
change. After the ballots are ])rinted and before they are 
trimmed, they shall be kept in separate piles, one pile for 
each change in position, and shall then be piled by taking one 
ballot from each pile and placing it upon the pile to be 
trimmed in such manner that each alternative ballot shall 
have the names in a different relative position. Thereupon, 
the ballots shall be numbeied consecutively on the upper right 
hand corner upon the front of the ballot with a perforated 
line across said corner and underneath said number so that 
said corner with the number thereon may be torn off. After 
the ballots shall be trimmed and done u^ in sealed packages, 
they shall be distributed for use at the primaiw election in 
the same manner as is now provided by law for the distribu¬ 
tion of ballots to be used at general elections. Ballots shall 
l)e prepared in substantially the following form: 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


19 


No 


OFFICIAL FJMMAKY 


FLEI^TION F,ALLOT. 


l*riiiiary election to be held. 19.in the town¬ 
ship of . county of ., or . district 

of tlie.ward of the city of. 

.party. 

(\'ij>nette) 

Make a cross in the S(inare to the left of as many names for eacli office 
as ina}’be indicated under tlie title of each office. 


NATIONAL. 

LEOISLATIVE. 

Fnited States Senator. 

\h)te for one. 

State Senator. 

.District, ^"ote for one. 

□ .lOUN ])OE. 

□ .rOUN DOE. 

□ KIOlIAin) l!OE. 

□ FICHARD FOE. 

□ 

□ 



STATE. 

Fepresentative in State Legislature. 
.District, ^'ote for one. 

(Jovernor. 

^'ote for one. 

□ .JOHN DOE. 

< 

□ .lOHN DOE. 

□ FKTIAFD FOE. 

□ lUCHAItD I!OE. 

□ 

□ 



COUNTY. 

(T)NCFESSrONAL. 

Judge of Probate. 

Vote for one. 

Fepresentative in Congress. 
....District. Vote for one. 

□ JOHN DOE. 

□ JOHN DOE. 

□ FICHAIM) FOE. 

□ FICHAFD FOE. 

□ 

□ 


Some showing or evidence of a candidate’s right to appear on the official ballot should be 
in the hands of the boards of election commissioners to warrant the board in causing the name 
of the candidate to be placed thereon.—Brown v. Kent Co. Klee. Com’rs, 174/477. 

























































20 


STATE OP MICHIGAN. 


Signatures 
required for 
certain 
officers. 


District 

officers. 


Proviso. 


County 

offices. 


(18) § 3534. Sec. 25. 'To obtain the printing of the 

name of aiiy candidate of any political party for United 
States senator or for governor or lieutenant governor under 
the particular party lieading upon tlie official ballots for any 
primary election held in this state, pursuant to the provi¬ 
sions of this act, there shall be tiled with the secretary of 
state nomination petitions, signed by a number of registered 
and qualified voters residing in tliis state, equal to not less 
than two per centum nor more than four per centum of the 
number of votes that such party cast for secretary of state 
at the last preceding November election. 

(lb) § 3535. Sec. 26. To obtain the printing of the 
name of any candidate of any political party for any district 
office under the particular party heading upon the primary 
election ballots in the various voting precincts of the district 
when such district is comprised of one county or less, there 
shall be tiled with the county clerk of such county, nomina¬ 
tion petitions, signed by a number of registered and qualified 
voters equal to not less than two per centum nor more than 
four per centum of the number of votes that said party cast 
therein for secretary of state at the last preceding Novem¬ 
ber election and in the case of a district office, in a district 
comprising more than one county, to obtain the printing of 
the name of any candidate of any political i)arty under the 
particular party heading upon the primary election ballots 
in the various voting precincts of said district, there shall be 
filed with the secretary of state, nomination petitions, signed 
by a number of the registered and qualified voters residing 
in such district equal to not less than two per centum nor 
more than four i^er centum of the number of votes that the 
party cast therein for secretary of state at the last preceding 
November election: Provided, That when there are two or 
more candidates for representative in the state legislature 
to be nominated by each political party in a single represen¬ 
tative district, to obtain the printing of the name of any 
candidate of any political party under the particular party 
heading upon the primary election ballots in the various 
voting precincts of such district, there shall be filed, with 
the county clerk of the county of which such district forms a 
part, nomination petitions signed by a number of registered 
and qualified voters residing in such district, equal to not 
less than one per centum nor more than four per centum of 
the number of votes that the party cast in such district for 
secretary of state at the last preceding November election, 
divided by the number of representatives to which such dis¬ 
trict is entitled in the state legislature. 

(20) § 3536. Sec. 27. To obtain the printing of the 

name of any candidate of any political party for a county 
office under the particular party heading upon the official pri¬ 
mary election ballots in the various voting precincts of a 
county, there shall be filed with the county clerk of said coun¬ 
ty nomination petitions signed by a number of registered and 




LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


21 


qualified voters, who reside in the county, equal to not less 
than one per centum nor more than four per centum of the 
number of votes that such political party cast in such county 
for secretary of state at the last preceding November elec¬ 
tion. To obtain the printing of the name of any candidate city offices, 
of any political party for a city office including all ward of¬ 
fices under tlie particular party heading on the official pri¬ 
mary election ballots for use in such city, there shall be filed 
\vdth the city clerk of such city such nomination petitions 
signed by a number of registered and qualified voters of such 
political party and who reside in such city, equal to not less 
than one per centum nor more than four per centum of the 
number of votes that such political party cast therein for 
secretary of state at the last preceding November election. 

All said nomination petitions may be signed by registered who may 
and qualified voters residing in any part of a ward for a ward 
office, in any part of a city for a general city office, or any 
part of a county for a county office, or any part of a district 
for a district office, or any part of the state for a state office: 

Provided, That in cities or counties of two hundred fifty Proviso, 
thousand population or more, in lieu of the above petition, a 
petition therefor, signed by the candidate, which shall state 
the name of the candidate, his residence, street, house num¬ 
ber and the political party of which he is a member, and the 
office sought, may be filed with the clerk of the county or city 
where said candidate resides, as herein provided. Such can¬ 
didate shall at the time pay to the clerk of the city or coun- 
t}', as the case may be, a sum of money equal To one-half of 
one per centum of the salary and fees of the preceding year 
of such office, the amount thereof to be ascertained or esti¬ 
mated as nearly as may be by such clerk; and upon comply¬ 
ing with the above provisions such candidate’s name shall 
be printed upon the primary ballot, if otherwise qualified. 

Am. 1921, Act 67. 

(21) § 3537. Sec. 28. To obtain the printing of the United states 

uaine of any candidate of a new political party for United 
States senator, governor or lieutenant governor under the 
particular party heading on the official primary election bal¬ 
lots in the various voting precincts of this state, nomination 
petitions signed by at least three thousand registered and 
qualified voters residing in the state, shall be filed with the 
secretary of state. To obtain the printing of the name of any New party 
candidate of a new political party for a district, county or candidates, 
city office, under the particular party heading on the official 
primary election ballots in the various voting precincts of 
such district, county or city, as tlie case may be, such can¬ 
didate shall file nomination petitions with the secretary of 
state, county clerk or city clerk, as tlie case may be, signed 
by at least one hundred registered and qualified electors re¬ 
siding in such district, county or city: Provided, That any Proviso, 
qualified and registered elector who resides in the particular 





22 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Form of 
petition. 


Voter may- 
sign only one 
nominating 
petition. 


Unlawful to 
procure more 
than maxi¬ 
mum number. 

Blank forms. 


Candidates 
may print 
own peti¬ 
tions. 

Oi)en for 

public 

inspection. 


Record of 
petitions. 


Time to be 
kept on file. 


district, county oi* city as the case may be, may sij»ii tlie nomi¬ 
nal ion iielitioii of any candidate representiiyi;- a new ])olitical 
party. 

(22) § dbdxS. Sec. 2!). All nomination petitions shall be 

ill the followino- form: 

We, the niidersij’iied registered and tpialitied voters atlil- 


iated with the . liarty and residents 

of the city of .. or the township of 

.in the county of .. 

and state of ^Iichi<>an, hereby nominate . 

who resides at No.street, city of 

. or in the townshi]) of . 

ill the comity of .as a candidate of 

the . ]!arty for the office of .. 


to be voted for at the ])riinary election to be held on the 

.day of .. 

as reiiresenting- the jirincijiles of said jiarty. 


Name. Kesidence. Street number (in cities having street 
Nos. ) Date of signing. 


(2;>) § .‘bAb). Se(\ 20. It shall be unlawful for any 

registered and qualified voter to sign more than one sncli 
nominating jietition for the same office excejit where there 
are two or more candidates to be nominated for the same 
office, when he may sign as many iietitions as there are per¬ 
sons to be elected to such office, ddie same rule shall apply 
to qnalitied electors in the signing of jietitions of candidates 
of a new jiolitical party. It shall be unlawful for any candi¬ 
date to wilfully and intentionally ])rocnre more names upon 
nomination iietitions than the inaximnm number prescribed 
in this act. The various comity clerks and city clerks shall 
])rei)are and kee]) on hand blank forms of nomination peti¬ 
tions for the use of the voters and candidates in said city or 
comity. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to pro¬ 
hibit any candiclate from having his own nomination peti¬ 
tions jirinted, but they must coinpl}^ snbstantially with the 
above form. All such nomination petitions shall be open to 
public inspection and subject to examination after being filed 
in the office of the secretary of state, comity clerk, or city 
clerk, in accordance with such reasonable rules and regula¬ 
tions as may be prescribed by such officers. The various 
officers named herein shall keep a public record of the nomina¬ 
tion jietitions filed in a book for that inirpose, which record 
shall indicate the names of the candidates, the offices sought, 
and the dates when such nomination petitions were filed. All 
nominating petitions tiled under the provisions of this act 
shall be preserved by the secretary of state, comity clerk or 
city clerk, as the case may be, for a period of one j’ear fol¬ 
lowing the jirimary election for whicli the same were filed. 



















LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


23 


At the exi)ii atioii of that ])erio(l the secretary of state, coun- Final disposi-• 
ty clerk or city clerk, as the case may be, sliall return the pe- tlons!^^ 
titioiis to the candidates named therein who request their 
return, and he shall destroy by mutilation all jietitions for 
tlie return of whbdi he has not received any request. In the 
record of nominating*; ])etitions, the various officers kee])in^' 
such record shall cause entries to be made, stating the tinal 
dis])osition of each candidate’s jietitions. 


Am. 1919, Act 400. 


See. 30a 
affiliation, 
211/395. 


added 1919, Act 400, requiring the filing of an affidavit of party 
was declared uncon.stitutional in Il.arrington v. (Sec. of State, 


( 24) Se('. 301). Should any such person become a candi- When nomi- 

date on any ])arty ticket othei' than the jiarty to which ]ie 
belongs, as shown by his affidavit, for the same office, or for 
any other office at the following ])rimary election, his nomi¬ 
nation on any ticket shall be void aud his name shall not 
tliereafter be ])rinted on the ballot at the regular election 
following. Should he be uominated on any other party ticket 
for the office for which he is a candidate, or for any other of¬ 
fice, by having liis name written in or by pasting on slips,, 
the no^mination on such party ticket only shall be void. 

Should a candidate be nominated oii more than one party in case can- 
ticket by having his name written in or by the use of slips, 
at an election at which he was not a candidate for any office more than 
on any jiarty ticket by reason of having tiled a petition and etc. 
affidavit, he shall elect within five days after the official can- Five days in 
vass uj)on which ballot he wishes his name to appear, and d?cidV^ 
unless such election is made, his name shall not apjiear on 
either ballot. 

Added 1919, Act 400. 

(25) § 3540. Sec. 31. The secretary of state and the Petitions, 

various county clerks and the city clerks of cities in which 
city officers are to be elected at the November election shall 
receive nomination petitions filed in accordance with the 
jirovisions of this act uj) to four o’clock, standard time, in 
the afternoon of the thirty-first day before the August pri¬ 
mary, and in counties, districts and cities where district and 
local officers are elected at a time otlier than the November 
election, the count}' and city clerk thereof or the secretary of 
state shall receive nomination petitions tiled in accordance 
with the juovisions of this act up to four o’clock, standard 
time, in the afternoon of the twenty-first day before the time 
designated for holding a primary election in such district, 
county or city. The secretary of state, or county or city candidates, 
clerk shall forthwith prejiare and publicly expose in his^^®^®^- 
office a list of the candidates for offices named in the nomina¬ 
tion iietitions tiled in his office, as near as may be, as they 
will apjiear upon the official judinary election ballots: l*ro- Proviso, 
vided. That if any nomination petitions contain more than 
the necessary percentage of names liereinbefore referred to, 
the excess over and above the necessary four per centum shall 





24 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Certification. 


Deficient 

petitions. 


How elections 
to be heid. 


Proviso, 
closing hour. 


Election 

inspectors. 


Proviso. 


Challenged 

voter. 


not lie considered nor counted. The said secretary of state, 
or county or city clerk, shall forthwitli, after the last day 
named herein for receiving and filing nomination petitions, 
certify to the proper hoard or boards of election commission¬ 
ers in such city, county, district or in the state and to the 
jiroper county clerk, the names and post office addresses of 
all party candidates whose petitions meet the requirements 
of this act, together with the name of the political party and 
the office for which they are candidates. In case it is deter¬ 
mined that the nomination petitions of any candidate do not 
comply with the requirements of this act, or if for any other 
cause such candidate is not entitled to have his name printed 
upon the official primary election ballots. It shall be the duty 
of the secretary of state or county or city clerk to imme¬ 
diately notify such candidate of such fact, together with a 
statement of the reasons why his name was not certified to 
the respective boards of election commissioners. 

(26) § 3541. Sec. 32. All primary elections for the 
nomination of party candidates for office shall be held by 
election precincts the same as general elections are held, and 
the polls thereof shall be kept open in the respective pre¬ 
cincts for the same length of time: Provided, That the town¬ 
ship board of any township or the legislative body of any 
city may direct that the polls be held open until eight o’clock 
p. m., standard time. 

Am. 1919, Act 400. 

(27) § 3542. Sec. 33. Each primary election shall be 
presided over by a board of primary election inspectors, 
which board shall be composed of the members of the board 
of election inspectors provided for under the general elec¬ 
tion law. The provisions of the general election law rela¬ 
tive to the furnishing and distribution of ballots, tally sheets, 
pencils, ballot boxes, arrangement of booths, initialing of 
ballots, powers and duties of inspectors, manner of conduct¬ 
ing the election, and all other matters shall be applicable 
hereto except insofar as the provisions thereof may be incon¬ 
sistent herewith: Provided, however. That the number of 
persons constituting a board of primary election inspectors 
and the gate keepers may in the discretion of the township 
board or common council of cities, be reduced to such a num¬ 
ber as may be actually necessary to properly perform the du¬ 
ties thereof and in case the number is reduced said board or 
common council shall designate who shall act. 

(28) § 3543. Sec. 34. After the polls are opened at a 
primary election, any elector who is legally registered and 
qualified, shall, before entering the booth, be furnished a 
ballot. It shall be competent for any registered and quali¬ 
fied voter or primary election inspector present to challenge 
the right of any one oftering to vote, on the ground that he 
is not a legal voter in that precinct. When the right of any 
voter to a ballot is challenged he shall be required to take 




LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


25 


and subscribe an oath that lie is a registered and qualified 
voter. Such oath shall be in the following form: 

1 hereby solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am a resident Oath, 
and registered and qualified elector, and possess the qualifi¬ 
cations of a legal voter, in the township of. 

or in the .precinct of the 

.ward of the city of . 

If the challenged voter takes and subscribes to the above 
oath he shall then receive the ballot for which he has asked 
• and be entitled to vote it, the same as if his vote had not 
been challenged; but unless a challenged voter takes and sub¬ 
scribes to the above oath, he shall not be permitted to vote 
at such primary election. If any person who takes the fore¬ 
going oath, swears falsely, he shall upon conviction thereof, 
be subject to all the pains and penalties of perjury. The 
provisions of section three thousand five hundred twenty- 
two of the compiled laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven are 
expressly made applicable hereto. A record shall be kept of 
any primary ballot cast by any voter whose right to vote has 
been challenged, in a similar manner to that provided in the 
general election law. 

(29) § 3544. Sec. 35. Each voter after having received How ballot 

his ballot, shall enter a booth and while there concealed 
from view shall vote such ballot by making a cross in the 
square at the left of the names of such candidates as he may 
desire to vote for, but in no case for more candidates for any 
office than is indicated under the title of such office. He may, 
however, vote for any person whose name is not printed on 
the ballot by inserting such name in such manner as shall 
make it a substitute for any name which is printed thereon 
or Avhere no candidate’s name appears upon the ballot: Pro- proviso, on 
vided. That such name substituted is not printed on any 
other party ballot: Provided further. That no person who is Minimum 
voted for on any party ballot for any state, district, county, 
city, or ward office, whose name is not printed on such bal- required, 
lot, and who has not filed a nomination petition for the office 
voted for, shall be deemed nominated as the candidate 
of such party for such office, nor receive a certificate of 
nomination unless he shall receive a total vote equal to five 
per centum of the greatest number of votes cast by such 
party at such primary in the state, district, county, city, or 
ward, as the case may be, for any candidate or for all the 
candidates for nomination for any office for which only one 
person is to be nominated. The voter shall then fold the bal- Folding of 
lot so that the perforated corner bearing the number shall 
be on the outside, and shall present it to the proper member 
of the board of inspectors who shall tear off the corner bear¬ 
ing the number and shall deposit the ballot in the ballot 
box. When a duly registered and qualified voter shall ask securing of 
for a ballot as before provided, the inspector shall enter his 
name upon the list together Avith the name of the party the 
ballot of which is requested, and the number of the ballot 







26 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Depositing of 
ballot. 


Exposing of 
ballot. 


Challengers. 


How counted, 
etc. 


Certification 
of delegates. 


Result, how 
declared, etc. 


given to the voter. The inspector receiving the ballot after 
the same has been voted shall, before de])ositing it in the box, 
ascertain b}^ coinjiarison with such list whetlier the ballot 
given to him is the same ballot furnished to the voter, and 
if it is not the same ballot, he shall reject it and the voter 
shall not be allowed to vote at such primary election. If any 
voter shall, after marking his ballot, so expose it to any per¬ 
son as to reveal the name of any candidate voted for there¬ 
on, the ballot shall be rejected by the board of election in¬ 
spectors and the voter shall forfeit the right to vote at the • 
}>rimary election. A note of snch occurrence shall be made 
upon the poll list opposite the name of the voter. Challen¬ 
gers who have been duly appointed shall be allowed to be 
present with like powers to challenge voters as are ijrovided 
by law in the case of general elections. 

Am. 1919, Act 400. . ' 

(30) § 3545. Sec. 3(). After the closing of the iiolls on 
the day of holding any primary election, the ballots shall be 
counted as provided by law for the counting of the ballots, 
of any regular election. In counting such ballots only those 
candidates for nomination to office who have a cross made in 
the square at the left of their names shall be deemed to have 
been voted for and any ballot upon which more candidates 
for any office have been voted for than may, by law, be elect¬ 
ed to snch office shall be rejected as to all names appearing 
for that office. The required number of electors Avho received 
tlie highest number of votes for delegates to the county 
convention of any political party shall be declared by the 
board of primary election inspectors to be elected. 'Said 
board shall certify to the county clerk the names of the elec¬ 
tors so elected as delegates, naming the political party upon 
whose ballots snch electors were elected. Said board shall 
also certify to each delegate so elected, his election as such 
delegate. The county clerk shall certify to the chairman of 
the county committee of each political party of the county 
the delegates elected by each political party as delegates to 
the county convention. 

Am. Id. 

(31) § 3546. Sec. 37. After the votes at any primary 
election in any election precinct shall have been counted, the 
officials counting the same shall publicly declare the result, 
and forthwith make and certify written detailed statements, 
snch as are required by law for general elections, except as 
hereinafter provided, showing the whole number of votes cast 
in such election precinct for each candidate voted for on each 
party ballot, and shall certify, subscribe and seal in a sepa¬ 
rate envelope such statements and one of the tally sheets, 
and write thereon the name and number of the election pre¬ 
cinct, if any, and deliver such statements and tally sheets to 
snch persons and at such times as are required by law for 



LAWS RELATING TO .GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


27 


general elections. xVs soon as tliey have ccinpleted the count¬ 
ing of the votes of their respective ])recincts they shall return 
all the ballots voted to the ballot boxes, and all books, nunsed 
ballots, supplies, lists and subscribed oaths shall be safe¬ 
guarded and returned, as near as may be, in the manner pro¬ 
vided for by law governing general elections. 

(d2) § 2547. Sec. 2S. The returns of said primary elec¬ 

tion shall be canvassed and the results declared in the same 
manner and within the same time after the jirimary election 
and by the same ofticers as is provided by the general law for 
canvassing the returns ami declaring the result in city, 
county, district and state elections, except that in the case 
of a i)riniary for the nomination of a candidate for the office 
of United States senator, governor, or lieutenant governor, 
or for the nomination of candidates for district offices in dis¬ 
tricts com])rising more than one county, the county clerk of 
each county alfected shall transmit to the secretaiy of state, 
within five days after the i)rimarv election, a certified state¬ 
ment of the number of votes received by each person for nomi¬ 
nation as a candidate of any iK)litical ])arty for any of the 
said offices. The secretary of state shall ai)point a meeting 
of the board of state canvassers at his office not later than 
twenty days after the primary election ( which date he shall 
forthwith certify to the chairman of the state central com¬ 
mittee of each political j)arty,) for the i)nrpose of canvassing 
the returns and declaring the residt of the primary for the 
nomination of the candidates for such offices. The said 
board shall proceed in the same manner in canvassing the 
returns and in certifying, I'ecording and determining results, 
etc., of a i)rimary for the nomination of candidates for United 
States senator and governor and lieutenant governor as 
is done in canvassing the returns in the case of the election 
of state officials. In canvassing the returns of a primary for 
the nomination of candidates for the offices of re])resentative 
in congress, state senator and re])resentative in the legisla¬ 
ture, in districts c(un])osed of more than one county, said 
board shall i)roceed in like manner as is done in canvassing 
the returns in case of the election of representatives in con¬ 
gress. 

Am. 1919, Act 400. 

Withoy V. Board of State Canvassers, 194/o(>4. 

(22) § 2548. Sec. .‘2). The candidate of each i)olitical 

I)arty for nomination for any office who receives the greatest 
number of votes cast for candidates for any such office as set 
forth in the returns or as determined by the board of canvas¬ 
sers on the recount by it of said ballots, shall be declared the 
nominee of that ixilitical party for said office at the next en¬ 
suing November election, or at the next city election, or at 
the next election for United States senator, as the case may 


Ballots, 
disposal of. 


Canva.ssing 
of returns. 


To be can¬ 
vassed by 
board of 
state can¬ 
vassers. 


Method. 


Who to be 

declared 

nominee. 



28 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Certification 
of nomina¬ 
tions. 


Irregularities. 


Petitioner to 

make 

depo.sit. 


Notice to 
opponent. 


Canvassers, 
board of, 
when to 
open ballot 
boxes. 


Returns, 
when deemed 
correct. 


be, and the board of canva.ssers shall forthwith certify such 
nominations to the respective boards of election commission¬ 
ers alfected thereby. 

Am. Id. 

(34) § 3549. Sec. 40. Any candidate voted for at any 

primary election provided for in this act, who conceives him¬ 
self aggrieved on account of fraud or error by the board of 
])rimary election inspectors, or in tlie count of the votes cast, 
or the returns made by said board, may, on or before the 
close of the day or days upon which the board of city or 
couid;y canvassers meet, present to and file with the chairman 
or secretary of the particular board of the county or city 
in which a recount is asked,- a written or printed petition, 
which shall be sworn to, and shall set forth as near as may be 
the nature of the errors or fraud complained of, and the par¬ 
ticular township, ward or precinct in which the alleged ir- 
legularities occurred and ask for a recount of the votes cast 
therein. Such petitioner shall at the same time deposit with 
the chairman or secretai’y^ of said board the sum of ten dol¬ 
lars for each and every township or ward, but the whole 
amount shall not exceed one hundred dollars in any one 
county, the vote of which he requests to have recounted by 
said board. When said petition is filed and the amount here¬ 
in prescribed is deposited, and after giving at least twenty- 
four hours written notice thereof to the opposing candidate 
by handing to such candidate a copy of the petition, or if 
such candidate cannot be found by leaving such copy at his 
place of residence, with some person of suitable age, if such 
person can be found, and if not by posting it in some con¬ 
spicuous place upon his last known place of residence. It 
shall be the duty of said board of canvassers to investigate 
the facts set forth in said petition and to cause the ballot 
boxes used in such election in such township or ward to be 
brought before it. The said board shall thereupon, in some 
public place where the interested candidates and their coun¬ 
sel may be present, if they so desire, proceed forthwith to 
open the ballot boxes from such townships or wards and to 
make a recount thereof as to such candidates, and make a 
correct and complete return in writing showing the full num¬ 
ber of votes cast and the names of the candidates and the 
number of votes given to each. When the recount of each 
box is completed the said board shall at once return the bal¬ 
lots thereto, carefully lock and seal same in the manner i)ro- 
vided by law for the locking and sealing of ballot boxes, and 
deliver the ballot boxes to the officer having the care and 
custody thereof. The returns made by the said board of can¬ 
vassers upon such recount shall be deemed to be correct, any¬ 
thing in the previous return from such township, ward or 
precinct, to the contrary notwithstanding. In all cases where, 
by reason of such recount or recounts, the petitioner succeeds 
in establisliing frauds or mistakes sufficient that the total 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


29 


changes made thereby in the territory from which he is to 
be nominated shall result in his nomination, the money de¬ 
posited by him Avith each of such boards shall be refunded; 
otherwise it shall be turned into the treasury of the county 
or city, as the case may be. If two or more candidates of Tie vote, 
the same political party be tied for the same office, the tie 
shall be determined by lot to be cast then and there, as the 
canvassing board may direct. 

(35) § 3550. Sec. 41. The several boards of election Printing of 

commissioners shall cause to be printed upon the official elec- Saiiot!*’’' 
lion ballots to be used at the November or April election, or 
at the city election, as the case may be, the names of the can¬ 
didates for office selected under the provisions of this act: 
Provided, That when any candidate shall die or shall with- Proviso, 
draw as such candidate before the printing of the ballots, 
after having been nominated as herein provided, the proper 
board of election commissioners shall cause to be printed or 
placed upon such ballot in place of the name of such candi¬ 
date or to fill such vacancy, the name of the candidate which 
shall be selected by the proper party committee as shown by 
the certificate of its chairman and secretary, in the manner 
provided for in the general election law; and for this pur¬ 
pose, in a county comprising a single representative or sena¬ 
torial or congressional district, the county committee of 
each political party of each such county shall constitute the 
representative or senatorial or congressional committee of 
said political party for such representative or senatorial or 
congressional district, as the case may be; and in a county 
comprising more than one representative or senatorial or 
congressional district the members of the county committee 
of each political party, residing in each such representative, 
senatorial or congressional district of such county, shall con¬ 
stitute a committee of said political party for such represen¬ 
tative or senatorial or congressional district, as the case may 
be, and such committee shall elect its chairman and other 
officers; and in representative or senatorial or congressional 
or judicial districts comprised of more than one county, the 
county committee provided for in this act, of each political 
party of each county of such representative or senatorial or 
congressional or judicial district, or the members of the 
county committee representing that portion of any county 
forming part of such representative or senatorial or congres¬ 
sional or judicial district, as the case may be, shall elect one 
or more electors of said political party, residing within the 
district that he is to represent, as a member of the commit¬ 
tee of such political party for such district: Provided, That Proviso, 
the party nominee or nominees, if more than one from the 
same district, shall have the privilege, if he or they so elect, 
of naming the committee of the political party for the district 
from which he or they have been nominated. Such commit-officers of 
tee shall elect a chairman and other officers of which the mit?ee, who 
chairman shall have a vote on all questions. The candidates 
6 




30 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Term. 


Death or 
withdrawal of 
candidate. 


Nomination 
by more than 
one political 
party. 


Proviso. 


Further 

proviso. 


Other candi¬ 
dates, who to 
certify. 


County con¬ 
ventions, 
when held. 


for coliiity oilices iioiiiiiiaUhl at each Sejiteinber iiriiiiary of 
each political party shall wilhiii ten days after the said pri¬ 
mary election, meet at a time and ])lace to he lixed liy the 
then chairman of the county committee and elect a chairman 
and secretary of the comity coin'inittee who shall hold such 
])osition for a ])eriod of two years and until their successors 
are selected. When such death or withdrawal shall occur 
snhseqnent to the j)rintin«’ of the official ballots, it shall be 
the duty of said board of election commissioners, if time per¬ 
mits, to forward the various election inspectors slips con¬ 
taining the name of the candidate entitled to fill the vacancy 
caused by such death, or withdrawal sli])s shall be pasted in 
the j)roi)er place njion the official ballots by the board of 
election insj)ectors. If in any case a person is nominated for 
any office 'by more than one political party, it shall be his 
duty to elect within five days after the official canvass of the 
returns of said primary election npon which ticket he wishes 
his name to a])pear, and unless such election is made such 
candidate’s name shall not be ])rinted on any ballot: Pro¬ 
vided, That in case of the death or withdrawal of any can¬ 
didate as hereinbefore mentioned, or in case a candidate is 
nominated for any office by more than one political party, 
and such vacancy shall not be filled by the proper commit¬ 
tee within five days from the time of its occurrence, the board 
of election commissioners shall i)rint on said official ballot, 
in place of the candidate who has died, Avithdrawn or elected 
to have his name a])i)ear ni)on another party ticket, the name 
of the ])erson Avho received the next highest vote at the pri¬ 
mary for that office on snch party ticket: Pi'ovided further. 
That it shall be nnlawfnl for any board of election commis¬ 
sioners to ])rint on any official election ballot prepared for 
the use of voters at any election the name of any candidate 
required by this act to be nominated by primary election, 
unless snch candidate was selected under anthority of this 
act and this i)rohibition shall oj)erate against any candidate 
selected in any mass convention or by any So-called inde¬ 
pendent voters at any canens or convention. The candidates 
for city offices, in cities having a jiopnlation of less than 
seventy thousand, the voters of which have not adoi)ted the 
provisions of this act, shall be nominated in convention and 
the names of snch candidates certified to the i)roper board of 
election commissioners and i)laced npon the official ballots 
in tlie manner provided for b}^ existing law. 

Am. 1921, Act 271. 

(oO) § 3551. Sec. 43. The comity conventions of all 
political jiarties for the election of delegates to a state con¬ 
vention for the nomination of state officers in the even num¬ 
bered years, shall be held within fifteen days after the Sep¬ 
tember primaries. All snch comity conventions of any one 
political jiarty shall lie held on the same day thronghont the 
state, which day shall be designated by the state central com- 



31 


LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


niittee of siicli ])()liti('al i)aity in its call for tlie state eonveii- 
tioii to iioiiiiiiate (•aiidi(iates for state ofliees. The time 
l)lace of meeting*’ of siirh eoniity eoiiventioii sliall !be desigiiat- natS’ in call, 
ed in tlie call issued therefor by the resjiective comity com¬ 
mittees of such political party. The number of delegates to Delegates, 
which snch ])olitical party in such comity is entitled when cho.sen. 

be chosen at snch comity convention. 

Am. 1'910, Act 400; 1921, Act 271. 

(37) § 3552. Sec. 43. The state convention of all politi- 

cal iiarties for the nomination of candidates for state oiiices held, etc. 
in the even nnmbered years shall be held within forty days 
after the Se])tember primary bnt not less than ten days after 
the day appointed for the meeting of the board of state can¬ 
vassers for the jinrpose of canvassing the primary election 
returns mentioned in this act. The particular day and the 
time and place of meeting shall be designated by the state 
central committees of the various political parties in the 
calls for said state conventions, which calls shall be issued at 
least thirty days jirior to tlie September iirimaries. 

Am. Id. 

(38) § 3553. Sec. 44. Whenever the voters of anv city when 

of less than seventy thonsand population shall decide to se- cities desire 
lect })arty candidates imrsnant to the provisions of this net, 
the petitions for submission or resnbmission of the question resubmit, 
itself, the nomination of candidates, the printing of ballots, 
the condneting of the jiriniary, and any other provisions for 
city noiminations shall be governed, insofar as applicable, by 
the provisions of this act relative to the nomination of party 
candidates for district ottices: 1‘rovided, That in any city Proviso, 
of more than seventy thonsand impiilation the nomination of voUng^^^^^^ 
candidates for city ottices by all parties shall be by direct required, 
vote, and in cities of less than seventy thonsand population 
where any iiolitical party is now nominating its candidates 
for city offices by the direct voting system provided for in 
this act or some former act, every jiolitical party in snch city 
shall hereafter so nominate its candidates, miless the quali¬ 
fied voters of snch city shall decide otherwise, according to 
the provisions of this act. The primary election in cities hav¬ 
ing adojited the direct voting system for the nomination of 
candidates for city offices to lie voted for on the first Monday 
of April provided for in this act shall be held on the first 
Wednesday of March preceding snch Ajiril election. All ])ri- 
niary elections held in this state shall be governed by and governed 
condneted in accordance with the provisions of this act. by this act. 

(39) § 3554. Sec. 45. Mvery iierson who, directly or in- Misde- 
directly, by himself or by any other iierson in his behalf, 
gives, lends, or agrees to give or lend, or ofi'ers, or proniises 

any money or valuable consideration, or ])roniises or endeav¬ 
ors to jirociire any money or valuable consideration or office, 

])lace or eniiiloyment, to or for any voter, or to or for any 
person on behalf of any voter, or to or for any person in or- 



32 


STATE OP MICHIGAN. 


Penalty. 


Misdemeanor, 
what deemed. 


der to induce or have such person induce any voter to vote 
for or refrain from voting for, or support or oppose any can¬ 
didate, or on account of such voter having voted or refrained 
from voting at any primary election in this state; every 
person who by any means receives, agrees or contracts for 
any money, gift, fee, loan or valuable consideration, office, 
place, appointment or employment for himself or any other 
])erson, for voting or agreeing to vote, or for refraining or 
agreeing to refrain from voting in a particular manner at 
any such primary election; or for inducing, or undertaking 
to induce any other person to vote in a particular manner, 
or to do or perform any of the acts or things forbidden by this 
act, or on account of doing or agreeing to do, or having done 
any campaign work_, electioneering, soliciting votes for such 
candidates on primary day or prior thereto, or who after 
any primary election in this state, directly or indirectly, by 
himself or by any other person in his behalf, gives or -receives 
any money or valuable consideration or place, position or em¬ 
ployment on account of any person having voted or refrained 
from voting, or having induced any other person to vote or 
refrain from voting at any such primary election; or having 
induced or undertaken to induce any other person to vote in 
a particular manner or for any particular candidate at any 
such primary election, or on account of any person having 
done or been a party to doing anything forbidden by this act, 
it being the intent of this clause to prohibit the prevailing 
practice of candidates hiring with money and promises of 
positions, etc., workers on primary day and prior thereto; 
also every person who in behalf of any firm, partnership, 
association or corporation, gives, lends or receives, or agrees 
to give, lend or receive, or offers or promises any money or 
valuable consideration, place, position or employment, or 
promises or endeavors to procure any money or valuable con¬ 
sideration, in order to aid or promote the nomination of any 
particular candidate, shall be deemed guilty of a misde¬ 
meanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a 
fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or by imprisonment 
for a period of not more than six months, or by both such fine 
and imprisonment in the discretion of the court. 

(40) § 8555. Sec. 4G. Any person who shall, Avhile the 

polls are open, at any polling place on any primary day, so¬ 
licit votes in the said polling place, or within one hundred 
feet thereof; any person who shall offer pr give to any other 
person any intoxicating liquors, or drink any intoxicating 
liquors within any such polling place; any person who shall 
violate any of the requirements or provisions of this act for 
which a penalty is not herein otherwise provided; any per¬ 
son who shall refuse or neglect to perform any duty enjoined 
upon him thereby; and any member of any primai’y election 
board who shall neglect or refuse to comply with any provi¬ 
sion of this act upon demand of any elector or police or peace 
officer so to do, and any person who shall vote or attempt to 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


33 


vote more than once, or in more than oae election district at 
the same primary election, and any person who shall vote 
at any primary election or attempt to so vote when he is not 
legally entitled to so vote shall he deemed gnilty of a misde¬ 
meanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to the 
punishment prescribed in the preceding section, and is here¬ 
by made the duty of any police or other peace officer present 
and having knowledge of any violation of any of the provi¬ 
sions of this section to forthwith institute criminal proceed¬ 
ings for the pniiishment of such offender. 

(41) § 3550. Sec. 47. It shall be unlawful for any can- campaign 
didate for nomination under the provisions of this act, after SSawfui to 
the date on which he has annonnced himself a candidate for post, 
any office included within the provisions of this act, or after 

he has filed his petition to have his name placed upon the pri¬ 
mary ballot, and before the close of the polls of such primary 
on primary day, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any 
other person, to post, pay for posting, or cause to be posted 
upon or in any building, or upon any tree, post, fence, bill¬ 
board, telegraiih or telephone pole, vehicle or other object 
within the territory where he is a candidate, any campaign 
card, banner, hand bill, poster, lithograph, half-tone engrav¬ 
ing, photograph or other likeness of himself, or other adver¬ 
tising matter used, or intended for the purpose of advertising 
or advancing his candidacy for office. 

(42) § 3557. Sec. 48. It shall be unlawful for any per- idem, 
son, after he has declared himself a candidate for any office 
included in the provisions of this act or filed his primary peti¬ 
tion therefor as herein provided, and before the close of the 
polls on primary day, for the purpose of promoting his can¬ 
didacy therefor, or for use in his campaign for such office, 
directly or indirectly, to print or cause to be printed, pay or 
cause to be paid for printing, circulate or distribute, or cause 

to be circulated or distributed, any campaign cards, hand bill, 
banner, poster or other advertising matter larger than two 
and one-fourth inches in width by four inches in length, ex- 
cejit postal cards and letters, or which contains any litho- Postal 
graph, half-tone engraving, photograph or other likeness of 
himself, which likeness is larger than one and one-half inches 
in width by two inches in height, excepting advertisements in 
newspapers as hereinafter provided, or to publish or cause 
to be published, pay for publishing, or cause to be paid for 
l^ublishing, any printed matter whatsoever, or any litho¬ 
graph, half-tone engraving or other likeness of himself, or any 
other political advertisement of any kind or nature what¬ 
soever which is intended, published or manufactured for the 
purpose of promoting or advancing his candidacy for such 
office, or infiuencing voters relative to his said candidacy in 
or upon any magazine, program, bill of fare, ticket for any 
ball or other entertainment, or upon or in any other sub¬ 
stance or publication whatsoever, except in a daily, weekly 
or monthly newspaper which has been regularly and bona 




34 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Money, etc., 
soliciting of. 


Lithograph, 
etc., unlawful 
to publish. 


Treating 

unlaw'ful. 


Tide piiblislied and circnlated for at least tliree inoiitlis lie- 
fore sneli advertiseinent ts to be inserted tlierein. It shall 
be unlawful for any other |)erson to do or ])erforin for or on 
behalf of any sneh candidate or to liel]) or injure the candi- 
tlacy of any candidate, ;iny of the acts or things which it is 
by tliis act made nnlawfnl for such candidate to do. 

(43) § ilo.'iS. Sec. 4!). It sliall ibe nnlawfnl for any jier- 
son to solicit from any candidate for noinination for any 
ottice included in the jiroyisions liereof, any money or other 
])roi)erty. The ])royisions of tliis section shall not ajiply to 
requests for contributions of money by or .to an authorized 
representatiye of tlie ])olitical jiarty committee of the organi¬ 
zation to Ayliich such candidate belongs, and sliall not ap]dy 
to any regular business transaction between any such can¬ 
didate and any other ])erson, which is not intended for or con¬ 
nected with tile securing of yotes or the influencing of yoters 
in connection with sucli nomination. 

(44) § 3551). b^EC. 50. It shall be nnlawfni for any can¬ 
didate for nomination for any otiice included in the proyi- 
sions of this act, or any other jierson on his behalf, for the 
jmrjmse of heljiing his candidacy for such office, directly or 
indirectly to ])ay for jinblishing or cause to be inserted or 
jinblished in any newspa})er any lithogra])h, half-tone en- 
graying or other likeness of such candidate larger than one 
and one-half inches in width by two inches in height or any 
adyertisement in which more than ten jier centum of the 
])rinted matter is jirinted in a larger type than the regular 
type used in ])rinting the editoi-ials of such newspaper, ex- 
cejiting therefrom the name of such candidate and the title 
of the office for which he is a candidate, and no such candi- 
<late shall pay for, or, directly or indirectly, cause any ad- 
yertiseinent or any likeness of himself to be inserted or pub¬ 
lished in any such news])aper which charges or demands 
from him a higher rate therefor than the highest regular rate 
Ayhich such newspa})er charges other persons or firms for non- 
l)olitical adyertisements for the isaiiie space, position and 
number of insertions, and all candidates shall exercise rea¬ 
sonable diligence to ascertain Avdiat such regular adyertis- 
ing rate is before inserting any such adyertisement, and if 
he shall be miisinformed as to such rate he shall not be held 
responsible under the ])royisions of this act for such illegal 
publication. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or 
corporation or em])loye thereof, soliciting or receiying any 
such adyertisements or j)rinted matter for any such iiews- 
pa])er from any such candidate, to miisinform any such can¬ 
didate as to such adyertising rates. 

(45) § 35()0. Sec. 51. It shall be unlawful for any can¬ 
didate for nomination under the proyisions of this act, after 
he has announced himself as a candidate for any office in¬ 
cluded in this act, or after he 'has filed his petition to haye his 
name placed upon the primary ballot as herein proyided, and 
before the close of tlie polls on any primary day, in any store. 




LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


35 


saloon, hotel, liall or other ])nl)lie hnihlin^', ])ul)li(* street or 
])lace within the territory from wliieh lie seeks a noniination, 

(lirectly or indireetly to hny or j^ive to, or cause to he hoiight 
for, or »iyen to, any elector residing therein any sj)iritnons, 
malt, brewed, fermented oi- otlier intoxicating liquor or bey- 
era ge. It shall be nnlawfnl for any jierson for or on behalf 
of any such candidate, or to helj) or injure the candidacy of 
any candidate, in any of the ]daces inclnded in this section, 
to buy for, giye to, or cause to be bought for or giyen to 
any elector, any of the liijnors or beyerages inclnded in this 
section for the ])nr|)ose of inllnencing the yote or support of 
snch elector for or against any sncli candidate, or when it 
is annonnced or made known in any way to any snch elector 
before or after snch beyerage is served that the same are 
-giyen or seryed for the iini'jiose of assisting or injuring the 
candidacy of any candidate, or inllnencing the action of snch 
elector in relation thereto, it being the intent of this section 
to prohibit the })reyailing custom of treating by candidates 
for nomination for ])nblic office or by any other jierson on 
behalf of snch candidates. 

(4() ) § 35()1. Sec. b'2. Any person who shall do or per- Misdemeanor, 

form any act or thing which is by this act made nnlawfnl for 
him to do, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon 
conyiction thereof shall be jinnished by a fine not to exceed Penalty, 
tiye hnndred dollars or by imjirisonment not exceeding six 
months, or both, in the discretion of the court. 

(471 § ;>'5(>2. Sec. 53. When by this act any act or Penalty, 

duty is required to be done or performed by or under the di¬ 
rection, sniieryision or authority of any officer, and such act 
or duty shall not be done or performed, then the officer who 
shall neglect to jierform snch act or duty, or who shall be 
responsible for such neglect, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor 
ami shall be iiunished as jiroyided in section tifty-two hereof. 

•Am. 1919, Act 400. 

(^S) § 35(>3. Sec. 54. No prosecution for any olfeuse Prosecution, 

mentioned in this act shall be maintained unless it shall be 
commenced within six months after the date of the primary 
election in connection with which the offense is alleged to 
have been committed. Neither the comiilaining witness, nor 

any other jierson who may be called to testify in behalf of 

tin? peojtle in any such jiroceeding, shall be liable to criminal 
prosecution under this act for any olfeuse in respect to which 
he shall be examined or to which his testimony vShall relate, 
except to prosecution for perjury committed in such testi- 
inoii}'. 

(4bj § 35()4. Sec. 55. It shall be the duty of the county Certain 
clerk of each comity to cause to be ])rinted large cards or |,c?p(2te^d. 
posters containing yerbatim the whole of sections thirty-four 
and forty-six of this act, and shall furnish two of the same 
to the board of jirimary election inspectors of each election 
precinct in his county at the same time that the official bal- 




36 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Duty of 
clerk, etc. 


Election day, 
what deemed. 


Proviso. 


Kefereiidum, 

purpose. 


Caucus, laws 
applicable. 


lots for use at primary elections are delivered, and the hoard 
of primary election inspectors shall cause the said posters to 
he posted in conspicuous places in the polling places so that 
the same can he plainly seen and read hy all persons at any 
primary election. It shall he the duty of the clerk of any 
city, township or village in which this act is operative to de¬ 
liver to the hoard of primary election inspectors of each elec¬ 
tion precinct within his jurisdiction, before the time for 
o.pening of the polls on primary election day, the register of 
electors and the blanks for poll lists and returns and any 
other supplies necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
act not herein otherwise provided for. 

(50) § 3505. Sec. 50. The day on which any primary 

election shall he held pursuant to the provisions of this act, 
shall be deemed to he an election day in any city, county or 
district where such primary election is held within the mean¬ 
ing of section seventeen of act number three hundred thir¬ 
teen of the public acts of eighteen hundred eighty-seven, en¬ 
titled ^^An act to provide for the taxation and regulation of 
the business of manufacturing, selling, keeping for sale, 
furnishing, giving or delivering spirituous and intoxicating 
liquors, and malt, brewed or fermented liquors, and vinous 
liquors in this state, and to repeal all acts and parts of acts 
inconsistent with the provisions of this act:’’ Provided, 
That such primary election day shall not be deemed an elec¬ 
tion day or a holiday for any purxmse except as indicated in 
this section. 

Sec. 57 repeals Act 4, P. A. of 1907, and other contravening acts. 


PRIMARY FOR VILLAGE OFFICERS. 

An Act to provide a primary election system for the nomination of 
village officers. 

[Act 144, P. A. 1921.] 

The People of the State of Michigan enact: 

(51) Section 1. The village council of any village in the 
state, upon petition of ten per centum of the qualified voters 
thereof, shall submit the question as to whether said village 
shall come under the provisions of this act and if adopted by 
a majority vote of tlie qualified voters participating in said 
election then this act shall be in force and effect and the 
nomination of all candidates of all political parties or organ¬ 
izations for village ofiices shall be conducted as herein pro¬ 
vided. 

(52) Sec. 2. The caucus for such nomination shall be 
open from two o’clock p. m. to eight o’clock p. m. on the day 
designated therefor, AU votes cast at such caucus shall be 




LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


37 


by ballot, and all laws applicable to the furnishing of ballots 
aiid the depositing, counting, and canvassing of the same, 
provided by general law for the election of such village offi¬ 
cers are hereby made applicable for such caucus: Provided, 
That the village council may direct that the ])olls of said 
caucus be held open from eight o’clock a. m. until eiglit 
o’clock ]). m. on tlie day designated therefor. 

(5d) 8ec. 3. Tliere ishall be separate ballots for the 
nomination of candidates for each political party or organiza¬ 
tion in such village. In order to secure the placing of his 
or her name upon any ballot it shall be necessary for such 
candidate to file with the village clerk, not less than ten days 
before the date designated for the holding of such caucus, 
a petition signed by not less than one nor more than four per 
centum of the electors of such village as shown by the regis¬ 
tration books thereof, asking that his or her name be placed 
upon such ballot and designating the office and the political 
part}" or organization upon whose ballot he or she desires 
to have such name so placed. 

(54) Sec. 4. The candidates'receiving the highest* num¬ 
ber of votes on each ])olitical party ballot, for the office 
designated, shall be declared the nominees for such offices 
of such i)art 3 ^ at the ensuing annual village election. 

(55) Sec. 5. An^" village adopting the ])rovisions of this 
act may at any time thereafter return to the system of nomi¬ 
nating candidates for office as provided under the general 
election laws of the state b^^ following the same procedure as 
provided in this act for adopting the provisions thereof: 
IT'ovided, That snch action to return to the system of nom¬ 
inating candidates under the general election law shall be 
made onl^^ upon a ])etition signed by ten per centnm of the 
qualified electors of such village. 


PRIMARY FOR TOWNSHIP OFFICERS. 

An Act to provide a primary election system for the nomination ot 
township officers. 

[Act 372, P. A. 1919.] 

The People of the l^tate of Michigan enact: 

(50) Section 1. Whenever the townshij) board of any 
township in this state shall, b^' resolution duly adopted, elect 
to come under the provisions of this act, or whenever the 
qualified electors of any township, by means of a petition pre¬ 
sented to the township board signed by not less than twenty- 
five per cent of such qualified electors and upon receipt of 
which it shall be the duty of such township board to adopt 
the provisions of this act for their township, tlie nomination 


Proviso. 


Separate 
party ballots. 

Nominating 

petition. 


Nominee, 
who declared. 


Return to 
old system. 


Proviso, 
petition for. 


Nomination 
of candidates. 





38 


STATE OF MICHIGAN 


Caucus, how 
held. 


Separate 
party ballots. 

Petition of 
candidate. 


Nominees, 
how chosen. 


May change 
system. 


Proviso, peti¬ 
tion foi. 


of all caiKlidates of all jiolitical ])ai“ties for Towiishij) offices 
to be elected at the aiiinial towiislii]) election shall thereafter 
he coiidncte;! as herein ])rovi<led. 

(57 ) Sec. 2. The caucus for such nominal ion shall he 
open from two o’clock ]>. in. to ei^ht o’clock p. m., on the day 
designated therefor. All votes cast at such caucus shall he 
hy ballot, and all laws a})])licahle to the fnrnisliino’ of ballots 
and the dejmsilin«’, connling and canvassing’ of the same, pro¬ 
vided by general law for tlie election of such township offi¬ 
cers are hereby made a})])licahle for such cancns. 

(58) Sec. 2,. There shall he sejiarate ballots for the 
nomination of candidates for each jiolitical paidy in snch 
township. In order to secure the jilacing of his or her name 
upon any ballot it shall he necessa.ry for snch candidate to 
tile with the townshij) clerk, not less tlmn ten days before 
the date designaled for tlie holding of snch cancns, a petition 
signed by not less than two nor more than four ])er centnm 
of the electors of snch township as shown hy the registration 
hooks thereof, asking that his or her name he placed upon 
snch ballot and designating the office and the ])olitical party 
upon whose ballot he or she desires to have snch name so 
j)laced. 

(59) Sec. 4. The candidates receiving the highest num¬ 
ber of votes on each ])olitical party ballot, for the office desig¬ 
nated, shall he declared the nominees for snch offices of snch 
partv iit the ensuing,animal township election. 

(hO) Sec. 5. Any townshij) adojiting the jn-ovisions of 
this act may at any time thereafter return to the SA^stem of 
nominating candidates for office as provided nnder the gen¬ 
eral election laws of the state by following the same proced¬ 
ure as provided in this act for adojiting the provisions there¬ 
of: ITovided, That snch action to return to the system of 
nominating candidates nnder the general election law shall 
he made only upon a petition signed h}^ twenty-five ])er cen¬ 
tnm of the qualified electors of snch township. 





LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


39 


NOMINATION OF DELEGATES TO CONVENTION. 

An Act to provide for the nomination and election of delegates to ♦ 
political conventions, the selection of party committees and offi¬ 
cers of party committees, and to regulate primary elections rela¬ 
tive thereto in counties of not less than two hundred and fifty 
thousand inhabitants; and to provide for the printing upon elec¬ 
tion ballots of the names of candidates nominated under the terms 
of this act, and to repeal all acts and parts of acts inconsistent 
with or contravening any of the provisions of this act. 

[Act 400, 1>. A. 1921.] 

The People of the ^^tate of Miehipau. enaet: 

(Gl) Section 1. Tu all ('oiiiitie.s in tliis state having not 
less than two hundred and titty thousand inhabitants, ac- county con- 
cording to the last ])iTTeding ignited States census, there 
shall be elected, at the next ensuing general primary, ])re- 
ceding the general November election, and every two years 
thereafter, by ilirect vote of the registered and tpialilied voters 
of each political party in said comity, delegates to county 
conventions as hereinafter ])rovided: ttrovided. That any Proviso, 
part}" casting less than ten per centnm of the total vote cast 
in the state at the last ])receding November election, for the 
candidate for secretaiy of state, may, in lien of electing dele¬ 
gates as provided in this act, elect delegates to their comity 
conventions, by canenses in the several townshijis and wards 
of their comity, or may elect such delegates to the state con¬ 
vention at a mass comity convention, and sncli comity con¬ 
ventions ma}' then appoint the several members of their 
comity committee as the convention shall determine. 

(G:i ) f>Ec. '2. In each ward, townshii) or city having no Number of, 
wards in all comities-included in this act there shall be elect- 
ed, as herein provided, one or more delegates and alternate 
delegates to the comity conventions thereafter to be held, Avho 
shall be residents of the ward, township or city having no 
wards in which they are elected, th.e nmnber from each ward, 
townshij) or city having no wards to be designated by the 
comity committee of each political party. 

(Gd) Sec. d. In each ward, townshij) or city having no who^dedared 
wards, the persons receiving the highest number of votes ® ’ 
cast at such election for comity delegate sliall, as soon as the 
returns of said election are canvassed and the result ascer¬ 
tained, ibe declared and certified to the secretary of the county 
committee by the comity clerk, or board of comity canvassers, 
as the case may be, as the duly and lawfully elected delegates 
from said ward, township or city baving no wards to the 
comity conventions thereafter to be held ‘and such persons 
so elected shall be entitled to sit and act as delegates from 
said ward, townshij) or city having no wards in said comity 
conventions and it shall be nnlawfnl tor any other person to 
so sit and act, except as hereinafter provided. 



40 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Alternate 
delegates, 
who declared 
to be. 


Term of 
office. 


Vacancy, 
alternate to 
act. 


Separate 
ward, etc., 
ballots. 


Nomination 

petitions. 


Signatures 

required. 


Petition, 
what to state. 


(G4) Sec. 4. In each ward, township or city having no 
wards, the persons receiving the next or second liighest num¬ 
ber of votes cast for delegate to county conventions at sucli 
election shall, as soon as the election returns are canvassed 
and the result ascertained, be declared and certified to the 
secretary of the county committee by the county clerk, or 
board of county canvassers, as the case ma}^ be, as tlie duly 
and lawfully elected alternate delegates to the said county 
conventions thereafter to be held, and such persons so elect¬ 
ed shall be entitled to sit and act in said county conventions 
as alternate delegates from said ward, township or city hav¬ 
ing no wards in the absence or failure to act of the persons 
elected as delegates. 

(65) Sec. 5. The persons so elected and qualified, as 
herein provided, as delegates and alternate delegates to coun¬ 
ty conventions shall continue in such offices until their suc¬ 
cessors are duly elected and qualified and the persons so 
elected and qualified shall constitute the county conventions 
in all counties coming within the provisions of this act. 

(GG) Sec. 6 . In case of the vacancy in any delegation 
from any ward, township or city having no wards, by reason 
of the failure to act of the delegates so elected or for any 
other reason, then the alternate delegates so elected shall be 
entitled to sit and act in said county conventions in the place, 
lieu and stead of the delegates elected from said ward, town¬ 
ship or city having no wards. 

(G7) Sec. 7. Separate ballots shall be prepared for each 
ward, township or city having no wards for each particular 
party electing delegates to a county convention for use at 
each general primary preceding the general November elec¬ 
tion, which shall contain the names of all candidates for the 
particular political party for the office of delegate to county 
conventions from such ward, township or city having no 
wards. No candidate for delegate to county conventions 
shall have his name printed upon any of the ballots of any 
political party in any ward, township or city having no wards 
in this state, unless nomination petitions have been filed ac¬ 
cording to the provisions of this act and until all other re¬ 
quirements of this act have been complied with. 

(08) Sec. 8. To obtain the printing of the name of any 
candidate of any political party for a delegate to county 
conventions upon the ballot of any particular party, as here¬ 
in provided in the various wards, townships or cities having 
no wards of a county, there shall be filed with the county 
clerk of said county nomination petitions signed by not less 
than ten nor more than twenty-live registered and qualified 
voters who reside in the ward, township or city having no 
wards from which the candidate seeks to be elected as a dele¬ 
gate and which petition shall state the name of the candidate, 
his residence, street house number and the political party 
of which he is a member and the designation of the ward, 
township or city having no wards from which the candidate 




LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


41 


seeks election. Upon complying with the above provisions 
such candidate’s name shall be printed upon the ballot of 
such particular party. 

(G9) Sec. 9. All nomination petitions shall be substan-Form, 
tially in the following form: 

AVe, the undersigned registered and qualified voters affil¬ 
iated with the . party and residents in the 

• • ..ward of the city of.or in the town- 

skip of.in the county of.and state of 

Michigan, hereby nominate ., who resides at No. 

street, in the..ward of the city of., or in 

the township of.in the county of., as a 

candidate of the . party for the office of delegate to 

county conventions to be voted for at the primary election 
to be held on the.day of ., as represent¬ 

ing the principles of said party. 

Name, Kesidence, Street number. Date of signing. 

(In cities having street Nos.) 


(70) Sec. 10. It shall be unlawful for any registered and signatures, 
qualified voter to sign more nominating petitions for dele¬ 
gates to county conventions than are to be elected in the 

ward, township or city having no wards in which he resides. 

The same rule shall apply to qualified electors in the signing 
of petitions of candidates of a new political party. The vari- Blank forms 
ous county clerks in counties included in this act shall pre- ciefk^to'Kep 
pare and keep on hand blank forms of nomination petitions on hand, 
for delegates to county conventions for the use of the voters 
and candidates in said county. Nothing herein contained 
shall be construed to prohibit any candidate from having his 
own nomination petitions printed, but they must comply sub¬ 
stantially with the above form. All such nomination peti- Open to 
tions shall be open to public inspection and subject to ex-inspec- 
amiuation after being filed in the office of the county clerk, 
in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as 
may be prescribed by such officers. The county clerks named Record kept, 
herein shall keep a public record of the nomination petitions 
filed in a book for that purpose, which record shall indicate 
the names of the candidates, their wards, townships or cities 
having no wards and the dates when such nomination peti¬ 
tions were filed. 

(71) Sec. 11. The various county clerks shall receive Date to be 
nomination petitions filed in accordance with the provisions 

of this act up to four o’clock, standard time, in the afternoon 
of the thirty-first day before the time designated fotr holding 
a primary election in such county, and the same shall be 
handled and treated in the same manner and in all respects 
as are other nominating petitions filed with said county 
clerks. 


















42 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Comity con¬ 
ventions, 
when held. 


Time and 
place of 
meeting. 


County com¬ 
mittee, how 
selected. 


Election of 
officers. 


Term. 


Existing laws 
applicable. 


(72) Sec. 12. The coniily conveiitioii.s of all jiolitical 
parties for the election of delegates to a state or district con¬ 
vention for the nomination of state, district or national otlicers 
shall he held not less than five days nor more than fif¬ 
teen days prior to the district or state convention, as the 
case may he. All county conventions of any one ])olitical 
])arty, of comities coming- within the ])rovisions of this act, 
shali he held on the same day as are the comity conventions 
of other comities thronciiiont the state, which day shall he 
designated hy the state central committee of such political 
jiarty in its call for the state convention to nominate candi¬ 
dates for state ottices. The time and jdace of meeting of such 
comity conventions shall he designated in the call issued 
therefor hy the respective comity committees of sncli politi¬ 
cal Jiarty. The delegates which sncli jiolitical j^iarty in such 
comi-ty is entitled to have in a state or district convention 
shall he chosen at sncli comity convention. 

(73) kSec. 13. At its tirst comity convention, after this 
act takes effect, each jiolitical jiarty in each county coming 
under the jirovisions of this act, shall select a county com¬ 
mittee, which committee sliall consist of one mem'her from 
each townshiji, wai'd and city having no wards of said coun¬ 
ty. Said county convention shall elect a chainnan, a secre¬ 
tary and a treasurer of the county committee, and such other 
officers as in its judgment may he jiroper, and shall have the 
jiower to till any vacancy which may occur in tlie memher- 
sliip of said committee or in any of its offices. The term of 
service of the county committee shall continue until the first 
county convention after the next succeeding general pnmary 
election preceding the Novemher election or until its succes¬ 
sor shall have heen elected and qualified. 

(74) Sec. 14. The provisions of all existing laws, stat¬ 
utes and jiuhlic acts of this state relative to initialing aiuT 
numhering of ballots and the canvassing of votes hy the 
hoards of county canvassers in the matter of recounts of 
votes cast for candidates for puhlic office and in all other 
matters and things pertaining to the nomination and elec- 
lion of j)uhlic officers, are made aj)jdicaihle hereto, excej)t as 
the contrary may he herein exjjiessed. 

Sec. 15 repeals all contravening acts. 




LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


43 


CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT. 

An Act to regulate and limit nomination and election expenses; to 
define and prevent corrupt and illegal practices in nominations 
and elections; to secure and protect the purity of the ballot, and 
to require accounts of nomination and election expenses lo be filed, 
and providing penalties for the violation of this act, 

[Act 109, r. A. 1913.] 

The 1*00pie of the l^.tafe of MiehUjun enaet: 

(75) § 3S28. Six’TioN 1. No sums of money shall be Election, etc., 

jiaid, and no ex])enses authorized or incurred by or on behalf Snd?date^ 
of any candidate to be jiaid by him in order to secure or aid 
in secnrino- liis nomination to any public office or ])osition in 
this state, in excess of twenty-five per cent of one year’s com- 
])ensation or salary of the office for wliich he is candidate: 

Provided, That a snm not exceeding fifty per cent of ahd 

year’s salary may die ex})ended by the candidates for governor ueutenant^ 

and lieutenant governor; or wliere the office is that of mem- 

her of either branch of the legislature of the state, the 

twenty-tive ])er cent sliall be conuintel on tlie salary fixed 

for tlie term of two years: Ib-ovided further. That no can- Further 

didate shall be restricted to less than one hundred dollars in 

Ids cam])aign for sn.ch nomination. No sums of money shall 

be jiaid and no exjiense authorized or incurred by or on behalf 

of any candidate wlio has received the nomination to any 

])nblic office or ])osition in tliis state, in excess of twenty-five 

jier cent of one year’s salary or comjiensation of tlie office for 

which he is nominated; or where the office is that of member 

of either brancli of legislature of the state, tlie twenty- 

five per cent shall be comiinted on the salary fixed for the 

term of two years: Provided, That no candidate shall be Proviso. 

restricted to less than one hiindred dollars. No sum of 

money shall be jiaid and no exiienses authorized or incurred 

by or on behalf of any candidate contrary to the ])rovisions 

of this act. 

(It)) § 3821). Sec. 2. Every political committee JJpJinfment 

apjioint a treasurer who shall receive, keep and disburse all duty, etc. 
sums of money which may be collected or received by such 
committee or by any of its members for election ex])enses; 
and unless such treasurer is first a]>i)oiuted it shall be unlaw¬ 
ful for a ])olitical committee or any of its members to collect, 
receive or disburse money for any such ])ur])ose. 

(77) § :>8;>(). Sec. No caiididate and no treasurer of Expenditures, 

any jiolitical committee shall pay, give or lend, or agree to lawful, 
jiay, give or lend, either directly or indirectly, any money 
or other valuable thing for any nomination or election ex- 
])enses whatever, excejit for the following jmriioses: 

First, For traveling exiienses and personal exiienses inci¬ 
dent thereto, for printing, stationery, advertising, postage, 
expressage, freight, telegraph, telephone and piinlic messen¬ 
ger services; 



44 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Candidate 
and treasurer 
to file ac¬ 
count, etc. 


What to 
set forth. 


Account filed 
before oath 
administered, 
etc. 


iSecoiid, For disseniiriation of printed iiiforinatiou to the 
public; 

Third, For political meetings, demonstrations and conven¬ 
tions ; 

Fourth, For the rent, maintenance and furnishing of of¬ 
fices ; 

Fihli, For the payment of clerks, typewriters, stenogra])h- 
ers, janitors, and messengers actually employed; 

Sixth, For the employment of challengers at primaries and 
elections, to the number allowed by law as sucli; 

Seventh, For the payment of public speakers and musicians 
at public meetings, and their necessary traveling expenses; 

Eighth, For copying and classifying of election registers 
or poll lists and investigating the right to vote of the persons 
listed or registered therein, and conducting proceedings to 
purge the registers and lists, and prevent improper or unlaw¬ 
ful registration or voting; 

Ninth, For making canvasses of voters; 

Tenth, For conveying infirm or disabled voters to and from 
the polls; 

Eleventh, For employing as counsel, attorneys licensed to 
])ractice in accordance with tlie laws of the state, and for 
tlie necessary expenses of such counsel. 

None of the provisions of this act shall be construed as 
relating to the rendering of services by speakers, writers, pub¬ 
lishers, or others, for which no compensation is asked or 
given. 

(78) § 3831. Sec. 4. Every candidate and every treas¬ 

urer of a political committee shall, within ten days after any 
primary election, caucus or convention and again within 
twenty days after any general election, whether state, county, 
city, municipal, township or district election, in or conceim- 
ing which he shall have received or disbursed any money, pre¬ 
pare and file in the office of tlie county clerk of the county in 
which such candidate or treasurer resides, a full, true and 
detailed account and statement subscribed and sworn to by 
him before an officer authorized to administer oaths, setting 
forth each and every sum of money received or disbursed by 
him for nomination or election expenses, the date of each re¬ 
ceipt, the name of the person from whom received or to whom 
paid, and the person to whom and object or purpose for which 
disbursed. Such statements shall also set forth the unpaid 
debts and obligations, if any, of such candidate or committee, 
incurred for the purposes set forth in section three of this 
act, with the nature and amount of each, and to whom ow¬ 
ing, in detail, and if there are no such unpaid debts or obli¬ 
gations of such candidate or committee, such statement shall 
state such fact. 

(70) § 3832. Sec. 5. It shall be unlav/ful to administer 

the oath of office or to issue a commission or certificate of 
nomination or election to person nominated or elected to 
any public office until he has filed an account as required by 
3 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


45 


this act, which account shall upon its face be complete and 
show a lawful compliance with this act, and no such person 
shall enter upon the duties of his office until he has filed such 
account, nor shall he receive any salary or fees for any period 
prior to the filing of the same. 

(80) § ?>833. Sec. G. All such accounts shall be open 

public inspection in the offices where they are filed and shall Ei^pection. 
be carefully preserved there for a period of one year, and it 
shall be the duty of the officers having custody of the same 
to give certified copies in like manner as of other public 
records. 

(81) § 3834. Sec. 7. The several officers with whom statements, 
statements are required to be filed shall inspect all statements 

of accounts and expenses relating to nominations and elec¬ 
tions filed with them within ten days after the same are filed; 
and if upon examination of the official ballot it appears that 
any person has failed to file a statement as required by law, 
or if it appears to any such officer that the statement filed 
with him does not conform to law, or upon complaint in writ¬ 
ing by a candidate or by a voter that a statement filed does 
not conform to law or to the truth, or that any person has 
failed to file a statement which he is by law required to file, 
said officer shall forthwith in writing notify the delinquent 
person to comply with this act. 

(82) § 3835. iSec. 8. Upon the failure of any person to Failure to 
file a statement within ten days after receiving such notice, 

or if any statement filed discloses any violation of any pro¬ 
vision of this act, the county clerk shall forthwith notify the 
prosecuting attorney of the county where said violation oc¬ 
curred, and shall furnish him with copies of all papers re¬ 
lating thereto, and said prosecuting attorney shall on such 
complaint or the complaint of any other person, forthwith 
enter the same in a docket kept for that purpose in his office, 
and within twenty days thereafter examine every such case, 
and if the evidence seems to him to be sufficient under the 
provisions of this act he shall, in the name of the people of the 
state, forthwith institute such civil or criminal proceedings 
as may be appropriate to the facts. 

(83) § 3836. Sec. 0. , .No person otherwise competent as 

a witness shall be excused from answering any question, in ' 

any proceedings under this act, on the ground that such 
answer would tend to incriminate him; but no prosecution 
can afterwards be had against such witness for any such 
ofi'ense concerning which he testified for the prosecution 
except in an action for perjury in giving such testimony. 

(84) § 3837. Sec. 10. The secretary of state shall, at Blanks, by 
the expense of the state, furnish to the proper county, city, fiJEShed. 
village or town clerks blanks in a form approved by the at¬ 
torney general, suitable for the statements hereinbefore re¬ 
quired. 

(85) § 3838. Sec. 11. No person who is not a candi-Conm^tions, 
date, or the treasurer of a political committee, shall pay, payable. 



46 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Money 
credited 
to person 
furnishing. 


Anonymous 

contributions. 


OfiBcer, etc., 
of corpora¬ 
tion, not to 
contribute. 


Unlawful to 
threaten, etc., 
employes. 


Newspaper 
advertise¬ 
ments to be 
marked paid. 


^ive or lend, or agree to pay, give or lend, any money wlietlier 
eontribnted by liiinself or by any other person, for any elec¬ 
tion expenses whatever, except to a candidate or to a political 
committee. 

(86) § Sec. 12. No person shall make a payment 

of his own money or of another person’s mone}^ to any person 
in connection with a nomination or election in any other name 
than that of the person who in truth supplies such mone}"; nor 
shall any person knowingly receive such payment or enter or 
cause the same to be entered in his accounts or records in 
another name than that of the person by whom it was actually 
furnished. 

(87) § 3840. Sec. 13. It shall be unlawful for any can¬ 
didate, or treasurer of a political committee, or person acting 
as such treasurer, to disburse money received from any anony¬ 
mous source. 

(88) § 3841. Sec. 14. No officer, director, stockholder, 
attorney, agent or any other person, acting for any corpora¬ 
tion or joint stock company, whether incorporated under the 
laws of this or any other state or any foreign country, except 
corporations formed for political purposes, shall pay, give or 
lend, or authorize to be paid, given or lent, any money be¬ 
longing to such corporation to any candidate or to any politi¬ 
cal committee, for the payment of any election expenses Avhat- 
ever. 

(89) § 3842. Sec. 15. It shall be unlawful for any em¬ 
ployer, either corporation, association, company, firm or per¬ 
son, in paying the salary or wages of any of its, their or his 
employes, to enclose their pay in j^ay envelopes, upon which 
there is written or printed any political notice, device or ar¬ 
gument, containing any threat, expressed or implied, intended 
or calculated to influence the political opinion, views or ac¬ 
tions of such employes so paid. Nor shall it be lawful for 
any employer, either corporation, association, company, firm 
or person, within ninety days of any election or primary elec¬ 
tion provided by law, to put up or otherwise exhibit in its, 
their, or his factory, workshop, mine, mill, boarding house, 
office or other establishment or place where its, their or his 
employes may be working or be present in the course of such 
employment, any hand bill, notice or placard containing any 
threat, notice or information that in case any particular 
ticket or candidate shall be nominated or elected, work in its, 
their or his place or establishment will cease, in whole or in 
part, or its, their or his establishment will be closed, or the 
wages of its, their or his workmen shall be reduced; or any 
other threats, expressed or implied, intended or calculated to 
influence the political opinion or act of its, their or bis em¬ 
ployes. 

(90) §3843. Sec. 16. No publisher of a newspaper or 
other periodical shall insert, either in its advertising or read¬ 
ing columns, any paid matter which is designed or tends to 
aid, injure or defeat any candidate or political party or or- 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


47 


ganization, or measure before the people, unless it is stated 
therein that it is a paid advertisement. No person shall pay 
the owner, editor, publisher or agent of any newspaper or 
other periodical to induce him to editorially advocate or 
oppose any candidate for nomination or election, and no such 
owner, editor, publisher or agent shall accept such payment. 

(01) § RS44. Sec. 17. If any letter, circular, poster, bill, False state- 

publication or placard shall contain any false statement or 
charges reflecting on any candidate’s character, morality or 
integrity, the author thereof and every xierson knowingly 
assisting in the circulation thereof shall, upon conviction 
thereof, be subject to the penalties provided for the violation 
of this act: Provided, That this shall in no Avise deprive the Proviso, 
injured part}^ of aii}^ other action for libel given by law. 

(92) § 3^5. Sec. 18. Any person who shall incur any penalty for 
illegal election expenses, or otherwise violate any of the pro- violation, 
visions of this act, shall upon conviction thereof be punished 

by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by impris¬ 
onment for not more than two years, either or both, at the 
discretion of the court. 

(93) § 381(). Sec. 19. Terms used in this act shall be Terms 
used as follows, unless other meaning is clearly apparent 
from the language or context, or unless such construction is 
inconsistent with the manifest intent of the law: 

‘‘Candidate” shall apply to any person whose name is 
printed on an official ballot for public office, or whose name 
lias been presented for public office, AA’ith his consent, for 
nomination or election; 

“Political committee” or “committee” shall apply to every 
combination of two or more jiersons who shall aid or promote 
the success or defeat of a candidate, or a political party or 
principle or measure; 

“Public office” shall apph^ to any national, state, county 
or city ward, village or town office which is filled by the voters 
of this state, as Avell as to the office of presidential elector and 
United States senator; 

“Town” shall apply to incorporated towns as well as to 
toAvnships. 

(94) § 3847. Sec. 20. All acts and parts of acts incon¬ 
sistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed: 
Provided, That the repeal of such acts or parts of acts, or proviso, 
any of them, shall not be construed to affect any offense com¬ 
mitted, or any prosecution or proceeding instituted or pend¬ 
ing under the laws so repealed. 

(95) § 3848. Sec. 21. No person or- organization shall unlawful 
ask, demand or request of or from any candidate for any etc., contn- 
public office subsequent: to any public announcement of the ^ution, etc. 
candidacy for any nomination for such office, any donation, 

gift or contribution, purchase of tickets, or similar demands. 

This section shall be held to extend to include religious, char¬ 
itable, or social organizations or any person Avorking in their 
behalf. 



48 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Absent voter 
defined. 


Commercial 

traveler 

defined. 


How absent 
voter may- 
vote. 


Application 
to clerk. 


ABSENT VOTERS. 

An Act to provide a method of voting at any general, special or pri¬ 
mary election by electors in the actual military service of the 
United States or of this state, or in the army and navy thereof, 
in time of war, insurrection or rebellion, by members of the legis¬ 
lature while in attendance at any session of the legislature, by 
students while in attendance at any institution of learning, and by 
commercial travelers absent from their place of residence upon 
the day of any general, special or primary election; to provide for 
the time of holding primary elections, caucuses or conventions for 
the nominations of candidates; to provide the time for printing 
official ballots and to repeal all acts or parts of acts inconsistent 
herewith. 

[Act 270. P. A. 1915.] 

The People of the State of Michigan enact: 

(OC)) § 3794. Si-:cTiON 1. For the purposes of this act 

the term ^^ahsent voter’’ shall he taken to mean aiw elector in 
the actual military service of the United States or of this 
state, or in the army or navy thereof, in time of war, insur¬ 
rection or rebellion, members of the legislature while in at¬ 
tendance at any session of the legislature, students while in 
attendance at any institution of learning, and commercial 
travelers who are absent from their legal residence upon the 
day of any general, special or primary election, and who are 
qualified electors of this state, as contemplated by section one 
of article three of the constitution. The term ^^commercial 
traveler” shall be taken to mean a person engaged in soliciting 
the sale of goods, by the exhibition of samples, or by catalogue 
or other device, for the j^nrpose of effecting such sales and 
taking orders for goods to be subsequently shipped by his 
emplo^^er; the term ‘filistrict” as used in this act shall be 
deemed to mean that section or territory over which the city, 
village or township clerk has jurisdiction. 

Insofar as voting at elections by absent voters is concerned, the provisions 
of the general election code are controlling and have superseded this act. The 
title of the code, hoAvever, contains no reference to primary elections and for 
that reason it is thought that the provisions of the code with reference to 
absent voters are inapplicable to primary elections. Act 270, P. A. 1915, is 
therefore retained in this compilation and should be observed in connection 
with the operation of the primary election law. 

(97) § 3795. Sec. 2. Any absent voter, as defined by 
section one of this act, who will be entitled to vote on election 
day, who is absent from the county of which he is an elector, 
on the dai^ of holding any general, special or primary elec¬ 
tion, held for the purpose of nominating ot electing national, 
state, legislative, county, township, city, village pr other 
municipal officers, or for the adoption or rejection of con¬ 
stitutional amendments or initiated or referred measures, or 
other propositions submitted, may vote at any such election 
as hereinafter provided. 

(98) § 379G. Sec. 3. At any time within thirty days 
next preceding such election, any of the aforesaid voters ex¬ 
pecting to be absent on the day of such election from the 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


49 


county in which his voting precinct is situated, may make 
application to the township, city or village clerk of his dis¬ 
trict either in person or by mail, upon a blank to be furnished 
by the county clerk to the various toAvnship, city or village 
clerks for that purpose, for the official ballot or ballots to be 
voted at such election. Such application blank shall upon 
request therefor, be sent by such township, city or village 
clerk to said absent voter by mail or shall be delivered to 
sakl voter upon application made personally at the office of 
such township, city or village clerk. Such application blank 
shall be in substantially the following form, and shall be 
signed and sworn to by the applicant before some officer 
authorized to administer oaths: 

Application for absent voter’s ballot for the election to be Form of 
held on ., 10... 

I.a duly qualified elector of the pre¬ 
cinct of the township of., or village of 

., or of the.precinct of 

the.ward of the city of., in the 

county of .., and state of Michigan, and a 

. expecting to be absent from the said 

(’Give occupation) 

county on the day for holding such election, hereby make ap¬ 
plication for an official ballot, or ballots, to be voted by me at 

such election. I request an official ballot of . 

party. 

(To be filled in for primary elections only.) 

Date.1 Send absent voter ballot to 

Signature of applicant. \ Postoffice. 

Home address of applicant.... J Street address, if any. 

(00) § 3707. Sec. 4. Upon receipt of such application aerk^t^o me 

blank, it shall be the duty of the township, village or city appiStlon. 
clerk to file the same in his office and to enter the name of said 
voter, together with the address to which such ballot or ballots 
are to be sent, upon a list to be kept by such clerk for such 
purpose, together with the date of receiving the same, the 
date of mailing the ballot or ballots to such voter, the date of 
receiving the ballot from such voter, and such other informa¬ 
tion as may seem necessary or advisable. The clerk shall 
keep a separate list or record for each voting precinct in his precincts, 
district. As soon as the ballots are printed the said clerk cierk to mail 
shall mail one each of the ballots to be voted as hereinafter 
prescribed to said absent voter, provided he be properly regis¬ 
tered or enrolled, or will be a qualified elector at the coming 
election, at the address named, and the said voter shall return Return 
the same to said clerk so that it can be delivered by him into 
the hands of the board of election inspectors of such elector’s 
precinct before the closing of the polls on election day. 

(100) § 3708. Sec. 5. The ballots required for any gen- men^bauots 

eral, special or primary election shall be delivered to the to clerk, 
county clerk at the earliest possible time after the approval 
of the proof thereof, and at least twelve days before election. 

















50 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Delivery to 
township, 
etc., clerks. 


First package. 


Second 

package. 


Proviso, 
printing 
of ballots. 


Instructions 
with ballots 
for absent 
voters. 


Township, 
etc., clerk to 
initial ballots. 


To forward 
ballots. 


The county clerk shall immediately deliver to eacli of the 
townsliip, village or city clerks, and in two separate packages, 
the number of official ballots to which such township, village 
or city is entitled by law. Twenty-five per cent of the total 
number of ballots to which the various townships, villages or 
cities are entitled, together witli sucli additional number as 
the county clerk may deem to be necessary u])on a proper 
showing by the respective township, village or city clerks be¬ 
ginning with ballot number one, and including the consecutive 
numbers thereafter, shall be enclosed in one package, as many 
as are necessary thereof to be used for absent voters as herein 
provided. The remainder of such ballots shall be enclosed in 
a second package, sealed as now required by law, and shall be 
kept intact by the various township, village or city clerks in 
some safe and secure place with a seal thereon unbroken until 
election day, as now required: Provided, That any township, 
village or city, or other elections where the ballots are not 
printed by the order of or delivered to the county clerk, sucli 
ballots shall be ordered printed as now provided b}^ law, ex¬ 
cept as to time, and placed in the hands of such township, 
village or city clerks at least twelve days before election, and 
the same per centum of such ballots shall be retained sepa¬ 
rately by such clerk as is above provided for the use of absent 
voters when delivered by the county clerk. 

(101) § 3799. Sec. 6 . The city, township or village 

clerk, as the case may be, shall enclose with each ballot sent 
to absent voters separate printed instructions to be furnished 
by the county clerk containing the following: Upon receipt 
of this ballot you will proceed to mark the same in accordance 
with the instructions enclosed, then fold the same so that the 
corner bearing the initials of the township, village or city 
clerk may be seen without unfolding the ballot. Place the 
ballot in the envelope enclosed herewith and securely seal the 
same. Make out the affidavit. printed upon the "back and 
swear to the same before a notary iiublic, or other person 
authorized to administer oaths, place the necessary postage 
upon the envelope and deposit the same in the postoffice or in 
some government receptacle provided for the deposit of mail 
matter. This ballot to be valid, must be mailed so that it 
will reach the township, village or city clerk in which your 
precinct is located, in time to be deposited by him with the 
proper election board before the closing of the polls on elec¬ 
tion day. 

(102j § 3800. 'Sec. 7. Upon receipt of the ballots herein 

lirovided for it shall be the duty of the said township, village 
or city clerk to initial a sufficient number of the same, in the 
same manner as is provided by law for the initialing of bal¬ 
lots by the inspectors of election, and to forward one of such 
ballots, or if there be more than one ballot to be voted, then 
one of each of such ballots, to each applicant for the same 
from said clerk’s district as shown by the list provided for in 
section four of this act, using due" care that the same be 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


51 


mailed postage prepaid, at least ten days before the opening 
of the polls on election day. He shall enclose with snch bal- To enclose 
lot an envelope which shall bear upon the front thereof the envefope^ 
name, official title and postoffice address of snch township, 
village or city clerk, together with a request for return if not 
called for within three days, and upon the other side a printed 

affidavit in substantially the following form: Form of 

^ affidavit. 


of, 


State of. 

Comity of. / 

I, ., do hereby solemnly swear that I am a 

resident of the.precinct of the | yilla^t^e 

the.precinct of the. 

ward of the city of. state of Michigan and 

entitled to vote in snch precinct; that the enclosed ballot was 
marked by me personally and enclosed in this envelope and 
sealed by me without being exhibited to any other person. 


(Signature of absent voter) 

Subscribed and sworn to before me, a .. 

in and for . county, state of ., this 

.day of.^ It)_ 


(Signature of official) 

Official title . 

Commission expires . 

(103) § 3801. Sec. 8. Upon receipt of such ballot or How ballot 
ballots, the voter to whom the same is addressed shall mark 

the same in accordance with the printed instructions; shall 
fold and enclose the same in the envelope provided therefor 
and after sealing said enveloiie he shall fill out the affidavit 
printed on the back thereof and sign and swear to the same 
before a notary public, or other person authorized to admin¬ 
ister oatbs, and, after placing thereon the necessary post¬ 
age, he shall dejiosit the same in the postoffice or in some 
government receptacle provided for the deposit of mail mat¬ 
ter. The ballot, in order to be valid, must be received by the 
township, village or city clerk in time for him to deposit the 
same with the election board in such elector’s voting precinct 
before the closing of the polls on election day. 

(104) § 3802. Sec. 9. Upon receipt of the envelope con- cierk to 
taining the marked ballots of any absent voter, it shall be the to election^^^ 
duty of the said clerk to safely keep the same in his office board, 
until election day and shall during the hours that the polls 

are open on election day deliver the same together with the 
signed application to the election board in such absent vot¬ 
er’s precinct. 

(105) § 3803. Sec. 10. It shall be the duty of the said Board to 
election board to verify the legality of such vote by a com- ffgaifty 
parison of the signature to the affidavit with that upon the 
application of such elector, by an examination of the poll 




















52 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Board to 
deposit ballot 
in box. 


To enter 
voter’s name 
on poll list. 


When ballot 
to be rejected. 


Proceeding 

upon 

rejection. 


Clerk to 
deliver 
record, etc., 
to board. 

Unused 

ballots. 


Vote of 
absent voter 
who returns. 


Proviso, 
return of 
absent ballot 
to board. 


Penalty. 


lists to see that such voter had not voted in person and is a 
registered or enrolled voter; by an examination of the affi¬ 
davit of sneli voter to see that the same is properly filled ont 
and attested. 

(lOG) § 3804. Sec. 11. When the said board shall have 
satisfied themselves tliat such vote is legal, that the affidavit 
is sufficient, tliat tlie signatures correspond and that such 
voter lias not voted in person in the precinct wherein he re¬ 
sides, they shall jiroceed to open the absent voter’s envelojie 
and take out the ballot or ballots therein contained and, with¬ 
out unfolding the same or permitting the same to be opened 
or examined, they, or one‘of them, shall detach the perforated 
numbered corner and having satisfied themselves that the 
initials thereon are the initials of the township, village or 
city clerk, as the case may be, they shall deposit the same 
in the regular box or boxes provided for that purpose and 
shall deposit the ballot in the regular ballot box to be count¬ 
ed with the other ballots. They shall also enter upon the 
proper poll list the fact of such voter having voted at such 
election by means of an absent voter ballot. 

(107) § 3805. Sec. 12. If upon the examination of the 
envelope containing an absent voter’s ballot or ballots, the 
affidavit thereon is found to be insufficient, or that the signa¬ 
tures do not correspond, or if, upon examination of the poll 
list it is discovered that such absent voter has voted in per¬ 
son in the precinct wherein he resides, or if in any way it is 
determined by such board that such ballot is illegal, then 
sucb vote shall not be allowed, but, without opening the ab¬ 
sent voter envelope, the board, or some member thereof, shall 
mark across the face of such envelope ‘^rejected as defec¬ 
tive” (or illegal as the case may be), and said envelope and 
the ballot or ballots contained therein shall be retained and 
preserved in the manner now provided bj’ law for the reten¬ 
tion and preservation of official ballots voted at such elec¬ 
tion. 

(108) § 380G. Sec. 13. At the opening of the polls on 
election day each township, village or city clerk shall deliver 
bis record or recoixls to the proper election board, together 
with any unused ballots in his possession; such unused bal¬ 
lots shall be the first used by the election board. 

(109) § 3807. Sec. 14. The provisions of this act shall 
not be construed so as to prohibit any absent voter, returning 
to his place of residence, from voting in person within his 
precinct at any general, special or primary election, notwith¬ 
standing that he may have made application for an absent 
voter’s ballot and the same may have been mailed by the said 
clerk: Provided, That such voter has not availed himself of 
the privileges of- an absent voter, as provided by this act, and 
voted the ballot mailed him by the said clerk, and provided 
he returns such ballot, if received, to the board by whom it 
shall be marked ^^cancelled” and placed in the regular ballot 
box with other ballots. Any voter so voting in person and 



LAWS RELATING TO GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. 


53 


by means of an absent voter ballot, or who shall attempt so 
to vote, shall be deemed guilty of a violation of this act and 
punished as hereinafter provided. 

(110) § 3808. Sec. 15. All caucuses, conventions or when con- 
primary elections held for the purpose of nominating candi- primaui. 
dates for any election shall be held at least twenty days be- etc., hew. 
fore such election and in sufficient time so that the ballots 

may be printed and in the hands of the various county, town¬ 
ship, village or city clerks, as the case may be, the number of 
days before election as herein provided notwithstandiug any 
provisions of any law or statutes in contravention thereof, 
and all acts or parts of acts contravening any of the provi¬ 
sions of this act are hereby repealed. 

(111) § 3809. Sec. 1G. Any person violating any of the Penalty, 
provisions of this act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemean¬ 
or, and shall be punished, upon conviction thereof, by a fine 

of not less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dol¬ 
lars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than 
ten days nor more than thirty daj^s, or both such fine and 
imprisonment in the discretion of the court. 

(112) § 3810. Sec. 17. Failure, neglect or refusal oii 

the part of any official to perform the duties required of him refusal, 
by this act, shall constitute nonfeasance in office and as such 
shall subject such official to removal from office as is provided 
by law. 


CENTRAL ELECTION COUNTING BOARDS. 

An Act to provide for the creation of a central election counting 
board in cities or villages. 

[Act 349, P. A. 1'919.] 

The People of the State of Michigan enact: 

(113) Section 1. The common council, city commission, aiffSaix^^ 
or other legislative body of any city or village may, by ordi¬ 
nance or resolution provide for a central election counting 

board to be appointed in the same manner and receive the 
same compensation as the inspectors of election in said city. 

(114) Sec. 2. Such ordinance or resolution may P^’^vide cha^e 
for the sealing of the ballot boxes in the various precincts 

of the city at different intervals during the day of election, 
and the transporting of the same to the place where such cen¬ 
tral counting board may be located, and other ballot boxes 
placed at each of the polling places in the place of those taken 
away. 

(115) Sec. 3. All ballots voted at any election held un- 
der the provisions of this act shall be sealed in the ballot 
boxes and transported to the place where the central elec- 




54 


STATE OF MICHIGAN. 


Separate 

returns. 


Effect of act, 
etc. 


Central 
polling places. 


Election 
inspectors, 
number, etc. 


tion counting board shall be located, and there opened by 
such board. 

(116) Sec. 4. The election returns of each voting precinct 
shall be kept separate, and the returns thereon made by the 
central election counting board in the same manner as though 
they were made by the election boards of the various voting 
precincts. 

(117) Sec. 5. This act shall in no way repeal or abridge 
any of the provisions of the general election laws, except as 
herein specifically provided, and all of the provisions of this 
act shall be carried out as near as may be according to the 
provisions of the general election laws. 


CENTRAL POLLING PLACES. 

An Act authorizing the common councils of cities of the fourth class 
to provide by ordinance for the establishment of central polling 
places. 

[Act 140. P. A. 1913.] 

The People of the State of Michigan enact: 

(118) § 3640. Section 1. In any city of this state, or¬ 
ganized under the laws thereof as a city of the fourth class, 
it shall be lawful for the common council of said city to pro¬ 
vide by an ordinance, passed by at least a majority of the 
aldermen elect of said city, for the establishment of a central 
polling place, to be centrally located, and to provide for the 
discontinuance and abolishment of all other polling places in 
said city. 

(119) § 3641. Sec. 2. The common council of any city 
establishing a central polling place may appoint four or more 
inspectors of election at the last meeting of said common 
council previous to every election, general or special, and said 
inspectors shall be governed by the general laws of this state 
in reference to their powers and duties as election inspectors. 





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